The Air Force on Wednesday released the names of the eight men killed when a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The aircraft, on a test flight, went down on the same 15,000-foot runway from which it had just departed, leaving a compact wreckage that, according to aviation safety experts, indicates the plane dropped sharply.
The deceased were identified as Col. Gregory Watson, 53; retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34; Maj. Robert Dee, 40; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41. Military officials said the group included four active-duty airmen, one reservist, and three civilians. Watson and Middleton were Boeing employees, while Smith worked as a civilian flight test engineer for the Defense Department.
Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, called the victims “dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates” in a statement. Boeing said the loss “is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them.”
Smith, a father of two, had returned to work only a week before the crash after having spent time at home following the birth of his second child four months ago, his widow, Lauren Smith, told NBC News. “It is such a horrible hurt, and I’m still processing everything that happened,” she said. She added that he died doing what he loved.
The B-52, which entered service in 1955 and is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, had been assigned to Edwards in December after receiving a modernized radar installed at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, according to an Air Force press release. The bomber was to be used as a testbed throughout 2026 to help officials decide whether to proceed with the radar modernization program, which aims to keep the 65-year-old bombers flying through at least 2050.
Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines pilot and CEO of Aero Consulting Experts, told the Los Angeles Times that “some of these airplanes are literally twice the age of the pilots who fly them,” but added, “If you take care of an airplane, you can fly them forever, basically.”
The crash occurred shortly before noon on a clear day, with the bomber heading southwest into prevailing winds. Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft. The cause has not been determined, and officials said the investigation could take six months. Investigators are expected to examine factors including the age and maintenance of the plane, as well as possible malfunctions in flight controls or engines.
Air operations at Edwards have been halted, according to the New York Times. The base is home to the 412th Test Wing, which conducts regular developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components. It was at Edwards that test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947.