A US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress has crashed in California’s Mojave Desert shortly after take-off from Edwards Air Force Base, killing all eight people on board while on a test mission supporting the bomber’s radar modernization program.
The aircraft went down at 11:20am local time on June 15, 2026, bursting into flames on impact and leaving a large area of charred desert at the base, which lies roughly 100 miles (161km) north of Los Angeles. Aerial footage showed virtually no recognizable wreckage remaining after the post-crash fire.
Col James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, confirmed the deaths at an afternoon press conference. “Today, Edwards Air Force Base experienced a horrible tragedy, and we lost eight great Americans,” he said, adding that a review of crash footage had determined the incident was unsurvivable.
The crew comprised a mix of military personnel, government civilians and government contractors. Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among those on board and said it was in contact with their families. The base said next-of-kin notifications were underway.
The aircraft involved was B-52H serial 60-0061, assigned to the 412th Test Wing. It had been delivered to Edwards in December 2025 after receiving an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP). Hayes described the mission as a local test sortie in support of that program.
The AN/APQ-188 radar being evaluated is produced by Raytheon and is derived from the AN/APG-79 system used on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. It is intended to replace the Cold War-era AN/APQ-166 mechanically scanned radar currently installed across the 76-strong B-52H fleet. The broader B-52J modernization effort, which also includes new Rolls-Royce F130 engines and updated avionics, is designed to keep the aircraft in service through 2050.
Hayes said the cause of the crash was not yet known and that the investigation could take up to six months to complete. “At this point, we don’t have any indication as to what the cause was,” he said. The airfield at Edwards was closed following the accident, with all inbound aircraft diverted, and the base said it would stand down operations on June 16.
The crash is the deadliest involving a B-52 since 1982, when nine crew members died in a training accident at Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. It is also the first fatal B-52 crash since 2016, when one crashed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, injuring all seven crew members.
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said he was deeply saddened by the accident. “We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission,” he said.
