The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday identified eight people killed in a B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
A B-52 aircraft crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff on Monday morning at the air base in California. Initial indications were that the incident was not survivable. On board were military personnel, government civilians and government contractors.
Officials confirmed their deaths late Monday evening but held off releasing their names until 24 hours after their families were notified.
Boeing, the defense and aerospace company that designed and built the B-52s, announced that two of their employees were among the eight who perished in the routine test mission, which was conducted in support of the radar modernization program.
“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I can now share the names of the eight extraordinary Americans we lost during Monday’s B-52 crash,” Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, said in a Wednesday release. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates.”
Col. Gregory Watson, 53, was a Boeing weapons systems officer from Shreveport, Louisiana, who was an Air Force reservist assigned to 10th Air Force in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, was a weapons systems officer at Edwards Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5.
Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, was a weapon systems officer assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards and was from Lancaster, California.
Maj. Robert Dee, 40, was a pilot in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards.
Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, was a pilot in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards.
Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, was a Boeing pilot from Tehachapi, California.
Jeromy Smith, 32, was a flight test engineer in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards and was from Rosamond, California.
Christopher Rischar, 41, was a flight test engineer and JT4 contractor from Lancaster, California.
“These Airmen were more than coworkers. They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family,” Tauer said in the release.
Some family members of the fallen published fundraisers through GoFundMe for money to cover expenses. Lauren Smith, the widow of flight test engineer Jeromy Smith, has two GoFundMes that had garnered a combined total of over $67,000 as of Wednesday.
“The sudden loss has left Lauren facing unimaginable grief and uncertainty, as she tries to navigate life for herself and her children,” one of the post’s captions reads. “The family had just purchased their home together, and now Lauren is left to manage everything on her own, while caring for her two young boys.”
Pam Middleton, the widow of Boeing pilot Miles Middleton, also has a GoFundMe that was created by a family friend that had amassed over $110,000 as of Wednesday.
An Interim Safety Investigation Board is currently investigating the crash, the Air Force release said, and the Edwards airfield will remain closed until further notice.
At a Monday news conference, Edwards Deputy Commander Col. James Hayes said that a Safety Investigation Board will determine the cause of the crash, which can take around 30 days. Then, an Accident Investigation Board will take up to six months to determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin.
According to AirNav Systems, a website that tracks flights, the B-52 was in the air for only a short period of time and took a sharp right turn before crashing.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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