A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California on Tuesday, prompting an emergency response and the closure of the airfield.

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The incident occurred at about 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT), according to a statement from the base. Officials did not immediately confirm whether anyone was injured in the crash.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, where a large plume of black smoke rose into the sky and was visible from miles away.

“Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing. More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the base said.

A spokesperson for Edwards Air Force Base declined to provide further details when contacted by the BBC.

Airfield Closed After Crash

Television footage from the area showed a scorched and smoking crash site in the Mojave Desert.

In a later update posted on X, the base said the airfield had been closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Officials also suspended all non-commercial visitor passes to allow the installation to focus on emergency operations.

Authorities have not yet released details on what caused the crash.

video screenshot

Long-Serving Strategic Bomber

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been a key part of the US Air Force since the 1950s. The long-range strategic bomber is capable of carrying a payload of up to 70,000 pounds, including conventional munitions and nuclear cruise missiles.

Designed for extended missions, the aircraft can refuel in flight, giving it a potentially global reach. It typically operates with a crew of five: an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer.

The B-52 has recently been involved in operations linked to the latest US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Lawmakers Offer Support

Edwards Air Force Base is located about 100 miles (160km) north of Los Angeles.

Congressman Jay Obernolte, whose district includes the base, said on Facebook that he and his wife were praying for those involved in the crash, particularly the crew, their families and emergency responders.

Meanwhile, Lisa McClain wrote on X that her thoughts were with everyone affected by the incident. She thanked emergency personnel responding to the scene and expressed support for US service members.

The emergency response remained ongoing as officials continued to assess the situation.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 16 June 2026

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One less murder weapon.

6 minutes ago, FlorC said:

One less murder weapon.

8 crew members dead. Still happy?

Obsolete technology in today's warfare. Too bad for the US they haven't figured that out yet. Looking at the members of the current administration it's totally understandable though.

2 hours ago, gargamon said:

Obsolete technology in today's warfare. Too bad for the US they haven't figured that out yet. Looking at the members of the current administration it's totally understandable though.

I’m sure you are an expert on all things military.

2 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

It was a mixed crew of USAF personnel and civilian contractors. This was.a test flight with the addition of new equipment. What did the civilian contractors do to be called "murderers"? I know everyone has an opinion like a certain body part but come on.

I'm pretty sure the point is that you certainly aren't likely to make that distinction about any Iranian/Palestinian or whoever the enemy is on that particular day.

Has the USA expressed any remorse for killing the school girls?

17 minutes ago, temuFarang said:

We are not suffering under Trump.

You must be a Billionaire .....

regards Worgeordie

3 minutes ago, FigLeaf said:

I'm pretty sure the point is that you certainly aren't likely to make that distinction about any Iranian/Palestinian or whoever the enemy is on that particular day.

Has the USA expressed any remorse for killing the school girls?

No. The US government should but will not. But equating this USAF crew and civilian contractors to murders? The point is way off the mark. Certainly not logical. The names and past missions of the USAF crew have not even been revealed yet. We do not know if they were part any missions in the CENTCOM AOR. CENTCOM is where the Middle East is in case you did not know.

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

One less murder weapon.

We will all need each other one day, unless you choose to stand with the enemy, or are the enemy. Trump is just one President out of many more hopefully, and still an Allie

Still, it is worth noting: Russia lost a Tu-22M3 bomber, and the US lost a B-52 bomber on the same day. Different events, different circumstances, but still a strange coincidence

23 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

So I'm thinking you consider all soldiers, on all sides murderers? Being against war is one thing, but taking that side means you're okay with American soldiers dying, and are possibly on Iran's terrorist regime's side.

Whatever made it crash, God was behind it.

1 minute ago, wil iam not said:

Whatever made it crash, God was behind it.

My God doesn't down airplanes. Maybe makes a flood to rid the world of evil for awhile.

1 minute ago, wil iam not said:

Whatever made it crash, God was behind it.

What made the plane go down was a dumb pilot pitching the plane at a steep back angle at low altitude without enough lift and thrust to correct the maneuver.

Off topic and troll posts and replies removed.

@FigLeaf you need to adjust your posing behaviour and follow forum rules.

Rule 9. You will not post disruptive or inflammatory messages. You will respect other members and post in a civil manner. Personal attacks, insults or hate speech posted on the forum or sent by private message are not allowed.
 
10. You will not post troll messages. Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing forum members by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other members into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

My God doesn't down airplanes. Maybe makes a flood to rid the world of evil for awhile.

Fred, you have a brilliant answer for everything, well done! /S

32 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

Fred, you have a brilliant answer for everything, well done! /S

TedG put a disagree on my answer to Fred, and he is correct

2 hours ago, FigLeaf said:

Has the USA expressed any remorse for killing the school girls

You only want to see remorse for the killing of the girls? What about the boys, the teachers, the assistance etc?

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

My God doesn't down airplanes

How do you know that?

9 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How do you know that?

I asked him.

14 hours ago, novacova said:

What made the plane go down was a dumb pilot pitching the plane at a steep back angle at low altitude without enough lift and thrust to correct the maneuver.

Were pray tell did you get that information?regardless my condolences to the 6 dead servicemen and the 2 Boeing techs that were aboard the ill fated flight 😔

18 hours ago, gargamon said:

Obsolete technology in today's warfare. Too bad for the US they haven't figured that out yet. Looking at the members of the current administration it's totally understandable though.

The B52 is to undergo an extensive upgrade programme, which will see them in operation for a further 40 years or more. So it would seem that there are a lot of Americans, mainly military types who disagree with you.

Why The B-52's New Rolls-Royce Engines Will Make America's 70-Year-Old Bomber More Efficient Than Ever

19 hours ago, FlorC said:

One less murder weapon.

By the strictest interpretation of this rather sick comment, all military personnel, past and present are murderers, or at the very least potential murderers. As one who served for 22 years, I find that to be a very unsavoury notion.

9 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

How do you know that?

I asked him.

You may have asked him but he sure didn't reply to you, if he did, he lied. Again.

5 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You may have asked him but he sure didn't reply to you, if he did, he lied. Again.

How would you know?

45 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

50 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You may have asked him but he sure didn't reply to you, if he did, he lied. Again.

How would you know?

Because figments of imagination do not speak to you, that's how.

Hornet Down: Marine Jet Crashes in Washington Mountains

https://migflug.com/jetflights/marine-fa-18d-crash-rimrock-lake-washington-vmfa-323-june-2026

The Death Rattlers lost a jet on Saturday. A Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet from VMFA-323 slammed into terrain near Rimrock Lake in Washington’s Cascade Mountains around noon on June 13, igniting a wildfire and sending a column of smoke visible for miles across Yakima County. The pilot ejected safely and walked away with minor injuries — which, given the alternative, counts as a very good day at the office. The crash happened along Visual Route 1355, one of the military’s most demanding low-level training corridors winding through the Cascades east of Mount Rainier. It is the same route where a Navy EA-18G Growler from VAQ-130 crashed in October 2024, killing both crew members — Lt. Cmdr. Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman. Two jets lost on the same mountain route in less than two years.

---

Surely this can be blamed on hegseth somehow.

49 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Because figments of imagination do not speak to you, that's how.

That's your opinion. Remember, you know very little to nothing about anyone besides yourself and those who live with you.

20 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You only want to see remorse for the killing of the girls? What about the boys, the teachers, the assistance etc?

As posted different topic:

There has not been a final report released on the Minab 'incident'. They have not definitively ruled out that it could have been caused by a heretofore undetected meteor strike.

4 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Because figments of imagination do not speak to you, that's how.

That's your opinion. Remember, you know very little to nothing about anyone besides yourself and those who live with you

It's not my opinion, it's fact. your chatty, non-existent god is just your fantasy, a figment of your imagination, and I don't need to know anything about anyone else in order to know that.

12 hours ago, Moonlover said:

By the strictest interpretation of this rather sick comment, all military personnel, past and present are murderers, or at the very least potential murderers.

bingo

endless undeclared wars

E.g.:

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's not my opinion, it's fact. your chatty, non-existent god is just your fantasy, a figment of your imagination, and I don't need to know anything about anyone else in order to know that.

Prove it's wrong. I don't need to prove anything here, as it's our belief. Maybe you're a figment of our imagination.