The U.S. Air Force released the names of the eight people killed when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards AFB.
The U.S. Air Force’s 412th Test Wing has released the names of the eight people killed in the horrific mishap on Jun. 15, 2026, which saw a B-52 Stratofortress crashing shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, California. The aircraft was departing for a routine test mission which included both service members and contractors aboard the bomber.
“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I can now share the names of the eight extraordinary Americans we lost during Monday’s B-52 crash,” Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing Commander, told workers and families at Edwards AFB. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, loved ones and fellow Airmen, Air Force civilians and mission partners affected by this tragedy.”
The service has now completed the next of kin notifications, although some of the fallen crew members were publicly identified earlier. Boeing similarly confirmed on the day of the crash that two of its employees were aboard the aircraft.
Here is the crew, as confirmed by the base in a press release on June 17:
- Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas), Shreveport, La.
- Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif.
- Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, Calif.
- Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, weapon systems officer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Lancaster, Calif.
- Maj. Robert Dee, 40, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
- Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
- Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif.
- Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4 contractor, Lancaster, Calif.
“These Airmen were more than coworkers. They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family,” added Col. Tauer. “Our immediate focus is supporting the families of the teammates we lost and ensuring that all appropriate resources are available to them during this time of unimaginable loss.”
The service confirmed that the crash is under investigation by an Interim Safety Investigation Board, while Edwards’ airfield remains closed until further notice. The closure was announced immediately after the incident in order to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.
— Air Force Global Strike Command (@AFGlobalStrike) June 17, 2026
Details about what happened on June 15 remain limited as the service continues to investigate to reconstruct the events. There is currently speculation on social media about a first version of the events and the aircraft involved, with officials later confirming that the B-52 was indeed involved in the test of the new AESA radar.
“It was a B-52 that was on initial takeoff, supporting the Radar Modernization Program,” said Col. James Hayes, Deputy Commander of the 412th Test Wing, during a press conference. “It was a local test sortie. It took off, and immediately after takeoff, crashed and burst into flames. After reviewing the footage of the crash, it was deemed that this was an unrecoverable crash and unsurvivable.”
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) June 16, 2026
The incident
As we reported earlier, a B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Base at 11:20 a.m. on June 15, 2026. The base confirmed the mishap on its social media channels after images appeared online showing a massive plume of black smoke rising from the location.
The smoke was visible also at a distance, because of the massive fire fueled by the bomber’s full tanks at takeoff. According to the service, the B-52H has a fuel capacity of 312,197 pounds (141,610 kilograms).
Later in the day, the service provided a first update mentioning the presence of eight people onboard. Meanwhile, images from news outlets provided the first images of the crash site, showing the devastation left by the massive fire that erupted after the crash.
The bomber’s usual crew includes five people, although the aircraft is reported to have six crew stations and four jump seats, for a total of ten. The reason for the increased crew is unclear, although it could be related to the specific test sortie.
The War Zone also reported that this might be the biggest loss at Edwards AFBN since the crash of a B-50D bomber with eight people on board in 1951. This is also the first B-52 crash in 10 years, occurred on May 19, 2016, when a B-52H (tail number 60-0047) belonging to the 69th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Wing, from Minot AFB, North Dakota, overran the end of the runway during an aborted take off at Andersen AFB, Guam.
The aircraft crashed and burned but all the 7 crew members managed to egress the plane safely. The B-52 was deployed to Andersen from Minot AFB, North Dakota, as part of the Washington’s continuous bomber presence mission in the Pacific.
