A US Air Force B-52 bomber crashed Monday on the grounds of Edwards Air Force Base in California shortly after takeoff, the base said. The base is located in California's Mojave Desert, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Los Angeles. All eight crew members aboard the bomber were killed.
According to the statement, the crash occurred at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time, and emergency crews were immediately dispatched to the scene. Footage from the site shows the aircraft's scattered remains on the runway.
Eight crew members are believed dead after a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California. pic.twitter.com/B1YLBricpS
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 15, 2026
The B-52 Stratofortress, which entered service with the US Air Force in 1955, is considered one of the symbols of American military power since the Cold War. Its original mission was to carry out strikes deep inside Soviet territory as part of the US nuclear deterrent. The large, long-range bomber can carry about 32 tons (70,500 pounds) of ordnance in a single sortie, including guided bombs, cruise missiles and naval mines.
Nearly 70 years after entering service, it remains a central pillar of the US Air Force's bomber fleet, despite the introduction of successors such as the stealth B-2 and others. It has served in US wars ever since, but is remembered above all for its role in the heavy "carpet bombing" campaigns in Vietnam and Cambodia.
The B-52 also took part in the war against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury. Unlike the stealth bombers in service with the US military, it is relatively large and slow, and is therefore usually deployed after the enemy's air defense systems have already been neutralized and with fighter jet escort. That was also the case in Iran: It was initially operated from a distance, and only after Iran's air defenses were destroyed and the US achieved air superiority did it begin carrying out direct strikes over Iranian territory.
