Photo from Edwards Air Force Base website (for illustration purposes only)
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – A B-52 bomber crashed and burned Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, the sprawling high desert military facility that straddles Kern, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the crash, which was reported at about 11:20 a.m. Monday shortly after the massive four-engine plane, called a Stratofortress, took off, according to the U.S. Air Force.
“Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing,” according to a dispatch issued just after noon Monday on the base’s X account.
ALERT: A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m.
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
Completely destroyed
Video from the location showed a large plume of smoke rising from the charred remains of the aircraft, which appeared to be completely destroyed.
Shortly before 1 p.m., the airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Meanwhile all non-commercial visitor passes for the base were suspended “to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” officials said in a statement.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, typically crewed by five people, is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in conflicts ranging from the Vietnam War to recent operations in the Middle East.
Edwards Air Force Base is home to a large portion of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts and is about 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles.
The 412th Test Wing, which runs the base, also conducts developmental testing of all U.S. Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their lifespan.
The vast desert base is also where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound in 1947.
The crash comes almost a year after the pilot of a regional airliner flying over North Dakota made an unexpected sharp turn to avoid a possible midair collision with a military B-52 bomber that was in its flight path last July. (With CNS and AP reports)
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