United States Air Force B-52H Crash

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, California, at around 11:20 a.m. PDT on June 15, 2026. All eight crew members aboard the test flight are believed to have been killed; officials said the crash was "not survivable." Photos showed almost nothing remained of the airframe amid a large, fuel-fed plume of black smoke. The aircraft was confirmed as B-52H 60-0061, which had received a modernized AESA radar at Edwards in December 2025. The base closed its airfield and diverted inbound traffic. It was the first B-52 crash since a 2016 mishap in Guam. The cause is under investigation.