The deadly B‑52 crash near Edwards Air Force Base this week is the latest in a long line of aviation tragedies tied to the High Desert’s major flight‑test hub.
Many of mankind’s historic achievements in aviation have taken place at the Mojave Desert base, established in 1942 at what was then known as the Muroc Dry Lake.
Edwards Air Force Base has been the site of experimental flights, military training runs, and high‑risk test missions for more than 80 years — and with that history comes a record of crashes stretching from World War II to today.
Crashes at Edwards date to pre-WWII era
There have been at least 11 aircraft crashes out of Edwards since 1941, including the crash June 15, 2026, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, an independent, non‑governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that operates a comprehensive global database of aviation accidents.
Investigation underway into latest B-52 bomber crash
Authorities are investigating an “unsurvivable” crash of a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft that killed eight people in Southern California on June 15.
The crash happened shortly after the B-52 bomber took off at about 11:20 a.m. local time at Edwards Air Force Base, officials said.
“We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable,” Col. James Hayes said.
Officials haven’t yet revealed a cause of the crash, and said an investigation with final conclusions could take months. The victims have also not yet been formally identified.
A long list of historic achievements at Edwards
The base has been instrumental in the development of every American bomber. The first-ever stealth aircraft, the F117 Nighthawk, was developed at Edwards, along with modern marvels such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 lightning. The Air Force’s secretive B-21 Spirit stealth bomber has been spotted taking to the skies over the base in 2024.
What is the B-52 Stratofortress?
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, first brought into service in 1955, is a long-range heavy bomber employed in a wide variety of missions, according to the Air Force.
The subsonic aircraft can reach altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.
“It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability,” according to an Air Force fact sheet. “In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations.”
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Deadly B-52 crash joins decades of aviation tragedies at Edwards AFB
Reporting by Brian Day, Elizabeth Roberts and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK / Victorville Daily Press
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By Brian Day, Elizabeth Roberts and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
