B-52: what the bomber that crashed and killed 8 crew members looks like in California

File image shows a United States Air Force B-52 bomber plane taking off from the air base in Gloucestershire, England
REUTERS/DarrenStaples/Files
A B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on Monday (15) shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, 160 km from Los Angeles, California. All eight people on board were killed.
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The eight-engine aircraft, built to carry a wide range of bombs, both nuclear and conventional, was on a routine test mission when it crashed onto the runway at Edwards International Airport shortly after taking off, Air Force Col. James Hayes said at a news conference hours later.
A dense cloud of black smoke rising from the crash site was visible for miles immediately after the crash. crash.
He stated that the "mixed crew" aboard the aircraft was made up of government civilians, government contractors and uniformed military personnel. Boeing, which designed and built the plane, said two of its employees were among the dead.
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The flight was intended to support a radar modernization program, Hayes told reporters. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and will be investigated.
Hayes added, however, that the US Air Force "quickly determined that it was impossible for the accident to have left any survivors."
Air Force officials did not release the names of the victims, saying they were still in the process of notifying family members.
Image from US broadcaster KABC shows the crash site of a B-52 Stratofortress at Andrews Air Force Base, California, on June 15, 2026
KABC via AP
'Backbone' of the US Air Force
The B-52 is a model manufactured by Boeing that carries high-precision weapons and can fly for more than 14 thousand kilometers without refueling. Production began in the 1950s, and the bomber remains the "backbone" of the American Air Force.
At least 744 units were produced, and the last was delivered in October 1962. The model was designed to carry nuclear weapons and became an important asset of the United States during the Cold War.
When it appeared, the B-52 was seen as the "doomsday bomber", capable of hitting the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons without the need for refueling.
Over more than 70 years, aircraft of the type have participated in almost all major operations conducted by the US.
Among them are the Vietnam War, the response to the attacks of September 11, 2001 and missions against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2016.
B-52s were also sent to the Caribbean during a US operation against international drug trafficking, which resulted in the capture of the dictator Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro.
B-52 bomber operating in the 1960s
US Air Force
The model has different variants. The "H" version, for example, can carry up to 20 cruise missiles. Overall, the B-52 can carry up to 32 tons of weapons, including bombs, mines and missiles.
The bomber has eight engines and can fly at an altitude of up to 15 thousand meters, which puts the aircraft above most of the battlefield. This capability, combined with high-precision strikes, expands air support in offensives.
See technical sheet of the United States Air Force's B-52 bomber.
Art team/g1
Threat from Iran
The announcement of the use of B-52s in Iran was made one day after United States President Donald Trump shared a video showing a large explosion in Isfahan. The target would be an ammunition depot.
It is still unclear whether the aircraft were responsible for the operation disclosed by Trump. Until the last update of this report, Iran had also not commented on the announcement made by the United States.
Also on Tuesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard stated that it will attack American companies in the Middle East in retaliation for recent bombings that killed Iranian citizens. Among the targets cited is Boeing, manufacturer of the B-52 bomber.
"The main institutions involved in terrorist operations will be legitimate targets. We advise employees to leave their workplaces immediately, for their own safety," said the organization.
"Residents of areas close to these companies, in all countries in the region, should also evacuate within a radius of one kilometer and seek a safe location."
In addition to Boeing, 17 other companies were listed, including giants of technology. See below:
Boeing
G42
Spire Solution
GE
Tesla
JP. Morgan
Nvidia
Palantir
Dell
IBM
Meta
Google
Apple
Microsoft
Oracle
Intel
HP
Cisco
B-52 bomber plane of the United States Air Force.
Disclosure/Boeing
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Source: G1