Two of the people on board the B-52 Stratofortress that crashed Monday at an Air Force base in California were employees of the defense and aerospace corporation Boeing, the company confirmed.
On Monday morning, the bomber aircraft crashed and went into flames shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, killing all eight individuals on board, including military personnel, government civilians and government contractors.
The U.S. Air Force has yet to release information regarding the individuals’ identities, but Boeing has confirmed in a social media post that two of its employees were among those killed.
“We are in contact with their families and are offering support,” Boeing said in the post.
The eight crew members on board were completing a routine test mission in support of the radar modernization program, the Air Force said.
The crash is currently under investigation.
Edwards Deputy Commander Col. James Hayes said at a Monday news conference that the base was terminating operations Tuesday due to runway damage.
Boeing designed and built the Air Force’s B-52 aircraft, with initial manufacturing taking place in the 1950s and upgrades to keep the fleet in service continuously undergoing. The aircraft is the force’s oldest bomber in service and could become the first military aircraft to remain in service for a century.
B-52s are slated to remain in service until at least 2050.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
