Air Force officials found eight crew members dead Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during what officials said was a routine reconnaissance mission.
The victims were identified as Col. Gregory Watson, 53; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, retired, age 50; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34; Maj. Robert Dee, 40; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.
“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable colleagues,” said Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing in a statement.
The crash happened shortly after takeoff from what military officials said was supposed to be a test flight to update the B-52’s radar, as well as a broader effort to upgrade the 70-year-old heavy bomber.
Airport officials said the airport is expected to remain closed until Thursday, as cleanup operations continue after the fiery crash. Flight testing operations at the base are not expected to resume until next week.
Many of those who died were part of the 419th Flight Test Squadron, including Davis, Dee, Hovey and Smith. The group was responsible for testing several bombers, including the B-1B, B-2A, and B-52 Stratofortress.
“These Airmen went above and beyond,” Tauer said in a statement. “They were friends, mentors, colleagues and valuable members of our Edwards family and the Air Force.”
Although the Air Force fleet of B-52s is assigned to bases in North Dakota and Louisiana, some of the fleet has recently been sent to Edwards Air Force Base for testing, as the Pentagon looks to update and install a new version of the aircraft.
In May, Air Force officials announced that Boeing is looking to replace the plane and replace its 1960s-era F130 Rolls-Royce engines, and begin testing it at Edwards Air Force Base. Testing of those engines is expected to begin later this year or in 2027.
In December, the Air Force also announced the B-52 Stratofortress, which was equipped with a new radar system, was taken from the Boeing facility in San Antonio to Edwards Air Force Base.
The aircraft was supposed to undergo a series of tests through 2026, before the new system could be rolled out to the entire B-52 fleet.
The plane that crashed on Monday was on a test mission in support of the Radar Modernization Program, a spokeswoman for the agency said.
Some relatives of the victims have started to tell their stories of Monday’s tragedy.
Lauren Smith, Jeromy Smith’s wife, told KTLA that her husband said there were problems with the plane before the crash.
“My husband told me on Friday that they were supposed to fly on Friday and that something was wrong with the plane,” she said. “I don’t know what went wrong, but the plane kept going backwards, it was supposed to fly in the morning and then it was pushed back until 2 o’clock, and they said they would have to fix whatever was wrong and fly when they were done.
Jeromy Smith was a military engineer who was “very proud of Lauren and their growing family, especially after welcoming their second child, a boy,” according to the Smith family’s GoFundMe page.
Miles Middleton was a pilot and employee of Boeing. His wife, Pamela Helfrich, told NBC Los Angeles that she is not sure he was the pilot.
“If he was in the seat, he would have done everything he could to save that plane,” he added.
Middleton was a US Air Force veteran who graduated from Colorado State University and holds a master’s degree in aero science technology from the University of Tennessee Space Institute, according to his family. He served in Afghanistan.
Middleton is survived by Helfrich and their two children.
The first B-52 was heard in the air in 1954 but, for more than 70 years, the aircraft has undergone a series of changes and modifications, changing with technological advances and the changing strategy of the US military.
More than half a dozen types of the powerful bomber have been used by the US military, which is planning another overhaul of the aging aircraft as it approaches its 100th birthday.
With a payload capacity of 70,000, a range of 8,000 miles and the ability to refuel in the air, this craft has been used extensively during national conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Gulf and Iraq wars.
Officials said the cause of Monday’s crash is still unclear, but the investigation is ongoing.
