[HIGHTECHDUDE]

11:20 AM PDT, June 15, 2026

KERN COUNTY (Edward's AFB) — A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff Monday morning at a U.S. Air Force base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, officials said.

Emergency crews were responding after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base, the military said on the social platform X. Eight crew members are believed to be dead.

Video from the scene showed a huge plume of black smoke rising from the desert.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the airfield was closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Meanwhile all non-commercial visitor passes for the base were suspended “to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” officials said in a statement.

[CatBatMan]

Thoughts and prayers don't mean or do one fucking thing.

[Banshee]

Wow! I have never seen smoke so black like that

[Mr.NoCredit]

The plane was fully fueled so a lot of avgas burst to flame. It looks like it melted almost everything.

[William May]

Supposedly was doing a test flight on a radar system, so there were no weapons on board. But there were civilians from Boeing on board, working as part of the test program.

I understand it never even made it away from the runway. Had to be something big, serious, and sudden.

[Roosta]

Not much left of the big girl.
Going to need a lot of heat to melt it up like it did.
RIP !

[durt]

[CatBatMan]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

Supposedly was doing a test flight on a radar system, so there were no weapons on board. But there were civilians from Boeing on board, working as part of the test program.

I understand it never even made it away from the runway. Had to be something big, serious, and sudden.

You know how Boeing got their name? Boing! It sounds like something fell off.

[DarkSighted]

BUFF: Big Ugly FLAT Fucker.

[snk1200]

1000 right