In a tragic incident on Monday, an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, resulting in the deaths of all eight crew members aboard. The base, which is situated northeast of Lancaster in the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles from Los Angeles, confirmed that the aircraft was on a routine test mission at the time of the crash.
According to a statement from the base, the crash occurred at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. “Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” the statement revealed. Emergency response teams quickly arrived at the scene, with officials actively working to account for all personnel involved. Currently, an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
In a somber press conference held later that afternoon, officials confirmed the loss of eight lives. The crew consisted of a mix of uniformed military personnel, government civilians, and contractors. As they proceed with notifying the families, the names of the victims have not been disclosed.
Colonel James Hayes addressed the media, expressing deep sorrow over the incident. “We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable, and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” Hayes stated, underscoring the profound impact of the tragedy on the community.
“We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable, and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” Colonel James Hayes said at the press conference.
Hayes said the B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff for a mission supporting the “Radar Modernization Program,” which he described as a local test mission. Upon impact, the aircraft instantly burst into flames.
First responders quickly took action to extinguish the blaze. Officials reviewed the footage of the crash and deemed it unrecoverable and unsurvivable. Hayes noted that test missions take place every day, multiple times a day, at the Air Force Base.
AIR7 flew over the runway at the Air Force Base, where the still-smoldering charred debris of the B-52 bomber was visible. It appeared that what was left of the bomber was mostly ash.
Just a few hundred yards away from the crash site, an intact B-52 bomber was seen in AIR7 video.
Shocking cellphone video shows a massive amount of smoke and fire immediately after the crash.
“At this point, we don’t have any indication as to what the cause was of this. We won’t be able to release that information, and we don’t have an availability to get that anytime soon,” Hayes said.
Officials said an interim safety board is doing an initial gathering of facts, which will then be handed to a safety investigation board, which will look into the root causes of the crash. He said that process will take about 30 days.
Then, those findings will be sent to an accident investigation board, which will determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin. That process can take upwards of six months, Hayes said.
The Air Force and NASA regularly conduct test flights of new and developmental aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base.
The B-52 Stratofortress — which typically carries a crew of five — is a long-range bomber first introduced in the 1950s that remains a central part of the U.S. military’s air power. Built by Boeing, the aircraft is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons over long distances and has been used in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to operations in the Iran war.
ABC News contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.