06/17/2026
All eight people who were on a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber that crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday are presumed dead, officials said.
The crash occurred during a “routine test mission” just after 11 a.m., and “initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” military officials said in a statement.
The identities of those on board were not immediately available, nor was a cause for the crash, which is under investigation.
News of a crash began to circulate on social media Monday morning after a huge plume of smoke appeared to be rising from the remote Air Force base, visible from pockets of the high desert in northern Los Angeles County.
The Air Force base initially confirmed only that a B-52 Stratofortress crashed “shortly after takeoff” at the base’s airfield at 11:20 a.m.
“Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” a spokesperson for the base said in a statement.
Soon after, the base said the airfield had been closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Visitor passes were also being suspended for the day “to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” the update said.
At a news conference Monday afternoon, Col. James Hayes said that relatives of the victims were being notified.
“We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable,” Hayes told reporters, “and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom posted condolences Monday evening, saying, “My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Edwards Air Force Base community impacted by this tragic incident.”
