Military officials have identified the eight crew members killed Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during what officials said was a routine test mission.
The victims were identified as Air Force Col. Gregory Watson, 53; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 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 teammates,” said Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing in a statement.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff in what military officials said was supposed to be a test flight to update the B-52’s radar, and a wider effort to modernize the 70-year-old heavy bomber fleet.
Base officials said the airfield is expected to remain closed until Thursday, as cleanup operations continue after the fiery crash. Flight test operations at the base are not expected to resume until next week.
Several of those killed were part of the 419th Flight Test Squadron, including Davis, Dee, Hovey and Smith. The squadron has been responsible for testing several bombers, including the B-1B, B-2A, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
“These Airmen were more than coworkers,” Tauer said in a statement. “They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family.”
Although the Air Force’s fleet of B-52s have been assigned to bases in North Dakota and Louisiana, some of the fleet have been recently sent to Edwards Air Fore Base for testing, as the Pentagon looks to update and deploy the newest version of the plane.
In May, Air Force officials announced Boeing was looking to modify the aircraft and replace its 1960s-era engines with F130 Rolls-Royce engines, and begin testing it at Edwards Air Force Base. Testing for those engines is expected to begin later this year or in 2027.
In December, the Air Force also announced a B-52 Stratofortress, that had been equipped with a new radar system, had been taken from Boeing’s San Antonio facility in San Antonio to Edwards Air Force Base.
The plane was set to undergo a series of tests throughout 2026, before the new system was to be rolled out to the rest of the B-52 fleet.
The plane that crashed Monday was on a test mission supporting the Radar Modernization Program, a base spokesperson said.
Some victims’ relatives have begun to share their stories of Monday’s tragedy.
Lauren Smith, the wife of Jeromy Smith, told KTLA that her husband said there were issues 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 was wrong, but the flight kept getting pushed back. He was supposed to fly in the morning and then it got pushed back to noon and then it got pushed back to 2 o’clock. And then they said they’re going to have to fix whatever was wrong with it and that they would fly when it was done.”
Jeromy Smith was a civilian engineer “who was deeply proud of Lauren and their growing family, especially after they recently welcomed their second baby boy,” according to a GoFundMe page for the Smith family.
Miles Middleton was a pilot and Boeing employee. His wife, Pamela Helfrich, told NBC Los Angeles that she’s unsure if he piloted the flight.
“If he was in the seat, he did everything in his power to save that flight,” she added.
Middleton was a U.S. Air Force veteran who graduated from Colorado State University and held 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 first took to the air in 1954 but, for more than 70 years, the plane has undergone a series of transformations and modifications, shifting with technological advancements and the changing strategy of the U.S. military.
More than half a dozen versions of the heavy bomber have been used by the U.S. military, which is planning yet another update of the aging aircraft as it nears its 100th birthday.
With an ability to carry a payload of 70,000, a range of 8,000 miles and the ability to be refueled in mid-air, the craft has been heavily used during the country’s armed conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Gulf and Iraq wars.
Officials said it was still unclear what caused Monday’s deadly crash, but an investigation is still ongoing.
