A column of smoke, some blackened wreckage. It is what remains of a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, California. The aircraft crashed in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. No survivors: all 8 crew members dead. It happened around 11.20 on Monday morning 15 June (American time), around 8pm Italian time. The causes of the accident are still unknown: an investigation has been opened to clarify.
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The crash of the B-52
According to what was communicated by Edwards Air Force Base, where the accident occurred, the “Stratofortress aircraft of the Air Force, with eight people on board engaged in a routine test mission, crashed shortly after take-off at 11.20 local time. Initial indications suggest that the impact left no escape”.
ALERT: A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 am
Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing. More information will be provided as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/x932d3HXHz
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) June 15, 2026
The images of the crash site show a large fire that destroyed the aircraft not far from the military base, an important operations center of the US military located about 95 kilometers north of Los Angeles.
🚨 BREAKING: A B-52 Stratofortress bomber has CRASHED at Edwards Air Force base in California
No word on casualties at this time, but its not looking good.
PLEASE pray for some sort of miracle for our service members 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/ntQ2EAUC2N
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 15, 2026
The airport has been closed and all incoming planes have been diverted, Edwards Air Force Base said on social media: “All visitor access permits have been suspended until further notice to allow the base to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”
Aerial footage shows a large charred area on the ground. Almost nothing remained of the plane, only a large column of black smoke visible after the crash. Many emergency vehicles intervened on site: the rescue personnel then confirmed the death of the entire crew.
‼️ Official release regarding today’s B-52 crash at Edwards. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and unit members at this time.
More information will be released as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/410V2gqCFv
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) June 15, 2026
The bomber and the base in California
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber produced by the American company Boeing, originally designed for the war against the Soviet Union: it entered service in 1955. It can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons and has been used in numerous conflicts, from the Vietnam War to the most recent operations in the Middle East.
It has received continuous upgrades to remain in service for decades. It has a wingspan of 56 meters and a length of 48 meters. The crew is generally made up of five people: a commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer.
Edwards Air Force Base, where the crashed plane took off, is a vast military base located in the California desert, north of Los Angeles. It is also known for being the place where test pilot Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947.