Military officials identify all 8 victims of fiery B-52 crash at California Air Force base

Published
June 17, 2026
Location
Edwards, California
runway
Incident type
Crash, Aircraft

Summary

Car Crash Edwards California in Edwards, California: A B‐52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base on Monday, June 15, 2026, killing all eight people aboard. Military officials later identified the victims as four active‐duty airmen, one reservist and three civilians. The crash occurred on the base’s 15,000‐foot runway and an investigation is underway.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Col. Gregory Watson Unknown Fatal
Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella Unknown Fatal
Maj. Alexander Davis Unknown Fatal
Maj. Robert Dee Unknown Fatal
Maj. Brad Hovey Unknown Fatal
Jeromy Smith Unknown Fatal
Christopher Rischar Unknown Fatal

Original reporting

Military officials identify all 8 victims of fiery B-52 crash at California Air Force base

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