A venerable aircraft of the U.S. military and a historic site for the U.S. Air Force combined Monday for potentially tragic news story out of California.
A B-52 bomber known as a Statofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, according to The Associated Press.
There was no immediate information about whether the crew survived.
Breaking News: A B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, located northeast of Lancaster, officials confirmed Monday.
The incident happened around 11:20 a.m., according to a post on X from the base.
Emergency crews responded… pic.twitter.com/XH87jiNOSW
— Kim “Katie” USA (@KimKatieUSA) June 15, 2026
The crash took place about 11:20 a.m. Pacific Times, according to the AP.
By just before 1 p.m., the base announced that the airfield was closed and “non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.”
Update- 12:48 PDT: The airfield has been closed, and all inbound aircraft are being diverted.
All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations.
— Edwards Air Force Base (@EdwardsAFB) June 15, 2026
The B-52 typically holds a crew of five, but there was no information about how many were aboard the crashed jet.
Edwards Air Force Base in California confirms that a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress has crashed shortly after takeoff. No word on the crew yet. https://t.co/f3FJ3RS4sM
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 15, 2026
The B-52 has been a mainstay of U.S. air power since 1955.
Capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear weapons, it has been a key part of military air operations in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to the current fighting in the Middle East, the AP noted.
Edwards Air Force Base, meanwhile, is one of the most famous in the country’s history.
Among other events, it was the site where the legendary pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in a Bell X-1 rocket engine aircraft.
In 1981, it was the landing site of the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, after its maiden voyage.
On Monday, however, it was the scene of emergency vehicles and the potential deaths of an American Air Force crew.
BREAKING: A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base, triggering an emergency response.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene as thick black smoke billowed from the wreckage scattered across the desert airfield.
More details, including… pic.twitter.com/JRx3R4ElJW
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 15, 2026
According to Fox News, the most recent B-52 lost in a crash was at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam in 2016.
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