On Monday, 15 June 2026, at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time, a tragic aviation accident occurred at Edwards Air Force Base in California. A Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber, registration 60-0061, serial number 464426, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all eight crew members on board.
Photo: Internet
Built in 1960, the B-52H-160-BW bomber, operated by the 412th Test Wing of the United States Air Force, came from the 93rd Bomb Squadron, 307th Bomb Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
The aircraft was scheduled to depart on a test flight; it began climbing and crashed shortly after leaving the runway. A fire broke out, completely destroying the airframe. The scale of the destruction was so severe because the aircraft was carrying nearly a full fuel load ‒ the B-52H carries up to 141,610 kg of jet fuel at maximum capacity.
BREAKING:
A B-52 Stratofortress has crashed in California.
It’s the first time a B-52 crashes since the 2008 Guam crash pic.twitter.com/Z07Yeqqxwa
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 15, 2026
BREAKING: A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base, triggering an emergency response.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene as thick black smoke billowed from the wreckage scattered across the desert airfield.
More details, including… pic.twitter.com/JRx3R4ElJW
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 15, 2026
The aircraft was the first test airframe integrated with the new Raytheon AN/APQ-188 radar, featuring an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna, as part of the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP). It arrived at Edwards Air Force Base on December 8 of last year.
On board during the fatal flight was an Air Force crew, along with contractor and civilian personnel. Boeing, which oversees the tests, confirmed that two of its employees were among the victims of the crash.
This is the first B-52H crash in 10 years, since the accident at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. On May 19, 2016, a B-52H-155-BW (registration no. 60-0047, serial no. 464412) from the 69th Bomb Squadron ran off the runway during takeoff ‒ seven of the eight crew members died at the scene.
It is also the deadliest crash since the B-52G-80-BW (registration no. 57-6482, serial no. 464187) accident, when on December 16, 1982, during a NATO exercise, the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Mather Air Force Base in California, killing all nine people on board.
ALERT: A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m.
Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing. More information will be provided as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/x932d3HXHz
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) June 15, 2026
‼️ Official release regarding today’s B-52 crash at Edwards. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time.
More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/410V2gqCFv
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) June 15, 2026
From the AFMC Commander: It is with great sadness that we can confirm the tragic death of eight of our teammates today at Edwards AFB following the crash of a B-52 Stratofortress. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones.
— U.S. Air Force Materiel Command ✈️ (@HQ_AFMC) June 16, 2026
It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of eight teammates today at Edwards AFB. My thoughts are with the bomber and test communities during this difficult time. I am keeping the families, friends, and loved ones affected in my prayers.
— General Ken Wilsbach (@OfficialCSAF) June 16, 2026
We are deeply saddened by the eight lives lost in today’s tragic crash at Edwards AFB. We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission. I send my sincerest condolences to their families and loved ones.
— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) June 16, 2026
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) June 16, 2026