8 Killed In CA B-52 Crash Include Father Of Newborn

Published
June 17, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
Edwards, California
runway at Edwards Air Force Base
View on map
Incident type
Crash, Aircraft, Fire

Summary

Car Crash Edwards California in Edwards, California: A B‐52 Stratofortress crashed and burst into flames at 11:20 a.m. on Monday shortly after takeoff during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California. Eight people were killed, including a young father who had recently returned to work after the birth of his second son. The aircraft was part of a radar‐modernization test program and crashed on the same 15,000‐foot runway it had taken off from.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Jeromy Smith Driver Fatal
Miles Middleton Driver Fatal
Greg Watson Driver Fatal
Unnamed Crew Unknown Fatal

Original reporting

8 Killed In CA B-52 Crash Include Father Of Newborn | Los Angeles, CA Patch

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