B-52 bomber crashes after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base; 8 service members killed
June 16, 2026 | Rose Bud, White County, Arkansas
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A B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight people on board, CBS correspondent Carter Evans reported.
Aerial images showed a large area of charred ground off the runway where the plane went down; little debris was visible in images aired with the report. The Air Force said there was no immediate indication of cause and that the aircraft had been testing new radar systems, Evans said.
Doug Berkeley, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told the report that the B-52 remains important to current operations and that aging aircraft operating under high performance demands can involve risk. The report noted the Air Force is investing in upgrades to the B-52 fleet.
Why it matters: The crash is a major military loss and places renewed focus on the safety and modernization of aging systems used for long-range missions.
What's next: Investigators will continue to examine the cause; officials provided no immediate timeline for findings, the report said.
Aerial images showed a large area of charred ground off the runway where the plane went down; little debris was visible in images aired with the report. The Air Force said there was no immediate indication of cause and that the aircraft had been testing new radar systems, Evans said.
Doug Berkeley, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told the report that the B-52 remains important to current operations and that aging aircraft operating under high performance demands can involve risk. The report noted the Air Force is investing in upgrades to the B-52 fleet.
Why it matters: The crash is a major military loss and places renewed focus on the safety and modernization of aging systems used for long-range missions.
What's next: Investigators will continue to examine the cause; officials provided no immediate timeline for findings, the report said.
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