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, including military personnel, government civilians, and contractors.
This accident is the deadliest involving a B-52 since 1982 and the most fatal at Edwards AFB since 1951, even as B-52 crashes have become increasingly rare.
An investigation is underway, expected to take up to six months to determine the cause, which remains unknown.

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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.