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Officials connected Wednesday identified the 8 radical who perished successful Monday's deadly U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crash, noting that their absorption "remains connected supporting the families impacted and our installation squad members."
A spokesperson for Edwards Air Force Base and Air Force Plant 42 said the 8 victims included a premix of subject personnel, authorities civilians and contractors.
The fallen were identified as: Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, a weapons strategy officer; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, a weapons strategy officer; Maj. Robert Dee, 40, a 419th Test Squadron pilot; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, a 419th Test Squadron pilot; Jeromy Smith, 32, a formation trial technologist from the 419th Flight Test Squadron; Christopher Rischar, 41, a contractor and formation trial engineer; Lt. Col. Miles Middleton (Ret.), 50, a Boeing pilot; and Col. Gregory Watson, 53, a weapons serviceman for Boeing and Air Force reservist — whose promotion to colonel was precocious confirmed by the Air Force.
The Air Force identified 8 victims who were aboard the B-52 Stratofortress erstwhile it crashed Monday successful California. (U.S. Air Force)
US AIR FORCE B-52 BOMBER CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA
The Cold War-era bomber crashed soon aft takeoff astir 11:20 a.m. section clip Monday astatine Edwards Air Force Base successful Kern County, California, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.
The unit was conducting a regular trial ngo to enactment the Air Force's sweeping modernization programme for the B-52 fleet, which includes evaluating a caller radar system, upgraded avionics and caller Rolls-Royce engines designed to support the bomber operational into the 2050s.
Smoke rises from Edwards Air Force Base aft a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed successful Edwards, Calif., connected June 15, 2026. (ALERTCalifornia/Reuters)
As the Air Force pauses formation trial operations astatine the base, the probe is expected to absorption heavy connected the aircraft's takeoff, looking for imaginable motor failures oregon controllability issues.
The probe volition besides apt analyse attraction records, particularly aft Smith's widow told section outlet KTLA the level was experiencing issues connected the Friday earlier the fatal crash, causing the formation to beryllium delayed.
FILE - The clang happened soon aft takeoff astatine Edwards Air Force Base successful California. (Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images)
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The Air Force has indicated the afloat probe could instrumentality up to six months to complete.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Alexandra Koch is simply a Fox News Digital writer who covers breaking news, with a absorption connected high-impact events that signifier nationalist conversation.
She has covered large nationalist crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder panic attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
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