B-52 crash – A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base at 11:20 a.m. Monday, prompting emergency response, a runway closure, diverted inbound aircraft, and a suspension of non-commercial visitor passes as the base investig
Monday morning began with routine movement—until a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress came down shortly after leaving the ground at Edwards Air Force Base.
The base said on Facebook that the bomber 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,” the post added.
For now, it is not clear whether anyone was injured. The crash left a towering black plume visible at Edwards Air Force Base. in California’s Mojave Desert northeast of Los Angeles. The runway was left with “a large blackened scar and smoke. ” and video showed it was difficult to make out distinct parts of the wreckage.
In the hours after the crash, Edwards Air Force Base closed the airfield, diverted inbound aircraft, and suspended all non-commercial visitor passes until further notice—actions that underscore how quickly the site shifted from operations to emergency response.
The B-52 involved in Monday’s crash is among the Air Force’s oldest aircraft. The Stratofortress first entered service in 1955. The long-range heavy bomber typically carries a crew of five and can carry as much as 70,000 pounds of bombs and other munitions.
The version currently flown is the B-52H. The Air Force still has 76 B-52H aircraft in its arsenal, and the type has remained central to U.S. military missions, including bombing operations during the current conflict between the US and Iran. The B-52H can also carry nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
The Air Force’s timeline for serious B-52 accidents includes a prior fatal incident in 2008. In that case, six Air Force personnel were killed when a B-52 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guam while preparing for a parade flyover.
While the Boeing-made B-52 has not been in production since 1962, life-extension initiatives have modernized the airframes and kept them flying. The Air Force has also launched another B-52 upgrade initiative centered on designing new engines. with a total expected price tag of $48.6 billion. according to Defense News.
Because the aircraft is no longer produced, replacements—when needed—must come from dismantled airframes stored at the so-called “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. That is the approach taken after a non-fatal 2016 crash that destroyed a B-52H in Guam.
As the base continues its emergency response and looks to determine what happened, Edwards Air Force Base said the situation is still ongoing—meaning questions about injuries, the sequence of events, and aircraft readiness are expected to take time to answer.
B-52 crash Edwards Air Force Base Stratofortress Mojave Desert 11:20 a.m. runway closed emergency crews