Edwards B-52 Crash Is One of History’s Deadliest

Monday’s accident killed eight, making it one of the most fatal in the model’s and Air Force base’s history.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A B-52H Stratofortress, assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, taxis on the flight line at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on January 30, 2024. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

A B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during a routine test mission, killing all eight occupants, who included military personnel, government civilians, and contractors.
The accident is the deadliest B-52 crash since 1982 and the most fatal at Edwards Air Force Base since 1951.
The aircraft was participating in the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, with officials deeming the crash "unrecoverable" and "unsurvivable."
A military investigation has commenced to determine the cause, expected to take approximately six months, with initial findings not immediately available to the public.

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Monday’s fatal crash of a B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) in California, which killed all eight occupants, is one of the most tragic in the model’s and the base’s history.

The accident was the deadliest involving the B-52 since 1982, when a Stratofortress crashed shortly after taking off from the former Mather Air Force Base (KMHR) in California and killed nine.