B-52 crash at Edwards

[GunnyGene]

Crashed shortly after wheels up. Few details.

https://www.twz.com/air/b-52-bomber-crashes-at-edwards-air-force-base-in-california

Details are still coming in, but a B-52 bomber has crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The base’s official Facebook and X pages have posted the following statement:

“A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m. Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

From what we can see, the B-52 appears to have crashed on or at least very near the base’s main runway. Still images and video emerging now show a large fire with black smoke that can be seen from miles away.

News of the crash first emerged in a post on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook group. That post said the aircraft in question was tail number 061, but this is currently unconfirmed. While its status is unclear, this particular B-52 was the first to receive a new AN/APQ-188 active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, which is one part of a muhc larger modernization effort for the entire fleet of these bombers.

 

[xTopGun]

"Godspeed" to the crew.....

 

[turd]

^^^Your first thought is politics? What about human life? I assume the pilots and crew are at least injured if not dead.

 

[GunnyGene]

^^^Your first thought is politics? What about human life? I assume the pilots and crew are at least injured if not dead.

Judging from the video on Fox, there is nothing -NOTHING- remaining of the aircraft. I doubt anyone on board survived. No parachutes were seen.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-air-f...tly-takeoff-edwards-air-force-base-california

 

[Watertender]

Terrible. Unfortunately things like this happen and all we can do is say a prayer for the families of the crew.
Just heard on the news that it was a training flight and 8 people were on board.

 

[sfhogman]

I hate seeing this sort of thing...prayers sent for the families and for the souls of those on board.

 

[GunnyGene]

From TWZ:

Update: 6:43 PM ET –

The 412th Test Wing Public Affairs Office has now issued a brief press release, which is as follows:

“An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after take-off at 11:20 a.m. (PDT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable. Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel.”

“The crash is currently under investigation.”

Eight is the maximum number of people that can ride about a B-52 at one time, with two jump seats in addition to the available crew stations. This may be the biggest loss out of Edwards since a fatal crash of a B-50D bomber with eight individuals on board near the base in 1951.

 

[Jakeintexas]

Prayers for the crew and their families.

 

[Fox Mike]

Prayers for the crew and their familys

 

[hittman]

What about human life?

Curious comment indeed.

 

[redhawker]

Prays for the crew and their families. This just proves that even training is sometimes as dangerous as combat.

 

[Jeepnik]

The size of the debris field looks pretty small. The fire very intense. Not sure even the flight recorder or cockpit voice recorders would even survive. Aircraft to tower recordings my be all they have, beyond eye witnesses.

The B-52 has most of the ejections seats ejecting upward and they are zero zero seats. There are two seats that eject downward. There is a minimum safe altitude for these seats (long time, but IIRC it's about 200') But the ejection sequence takes a bit of time to initiate and complete. There simply might not have been time for that sequence to even begin.

 

[contender]

Tragic. Prayers for the families.

 

[Kevin]

Curious comment indeed.

I’m not following this whole comment thread. It seems like Turd cares, but I don’t get it.

Anyway, I looked up the history of the B52. Wow. What an incredible aircraft. During the Cold War there was a time that they were kept flying nonstop.

From the internet:
From 1961 to 1968, during Operation Chrome Dome, the Air Force kept nuclear-armed B-52s in the air around the clock.

Anyway, it’s sad that this one crashed and apparently 8 people were on board. Very sad.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a U.S. Air Force base in Southern California's Mojave Desert and burst into flames Monday, killing all eight people aboard, military officials said.

Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down around 11:20 a.m. during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base,

 

[eveled]

. sent for the families

 

[Watertender]

Curious comment indeed.

It seems like Turd cares, but I don’t get it.

Someone had popped a comment in wondering how long it would take someone to blame President Trump for the crash.
Not sure if was if someone would blame him on this forum or in general. The comment was up for a very short time and taken down but that is what was being referred to.

 

[GunnyGene]

I’m not following this whole comment thread. It seems like Turd cares, but I don’t get it.

Anyway, I looked up the history of the B52. Wow. What an incredible aircraft. During the Cold War there was a time that they were kept flying nonstop.

From the internet:
From 1961 to 1968, during Operation Chrome Dome, the Air Force kept nuclear-armed B-52s in the air around the clock.

Anyway, it’s sad that this one crashed and apparently 8 people were on board. Very sad.

Look up the predecessor of the B-52. The B-50D. They were the go-to strategic nuclear bomber and recon plane for quite a few years up to 1961. They even flew recon missions inside Russia in the early '50's.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Look up the predecessor of the B-52. The B-50D. They were the go-to strategic nuclear bomber and recon plane for quite a few years up to 1961. They even flew recon missions inside Russia in the early '50's.

View attachment 106469

Don't forget about the KB-50. It was probably the last model flying.

It Only Took 94 Hours in the Air and More Than 23,000 Miles on the Odometer!​

On 26 February 1949 the Boeing B-50A-5-BO Superfortress, Air Force serial number 46-010, named “Lucky Lady II” took off on what was to become the first non-stop around-the-world flight.

 

[Jakeintexas]

Look up the predecessor of the B-52. The B-50D. They were the go-to strategic nuclear bomber and recon plane for quite a few years up to 1961. They even flew recon missions inside Russia in the early '50's.

View attachment 106469

Don't forget about the KB-50. It was probably the last model flying.

It Only Took 94 Hours in the Air and More Than 23,000 Miles on the Odometer!​

Don't forget this one. It had its own difficult history.

 

[Sam Summey]

Crashed shortly after wheels up. Few details.

https://www.twz.com/air/b-52-bomber-crashes-at-edwards-air-force-base-in-california

I suspect another failure of A.I. autonomous takeoff. Nothing like putting your life into the "hands" of a machine/computer.

 

[Watertender]

In 1952 my dad worked on the runways at Loring AFB in Maine for the B36 Peacemaker Bomber. He had a few neat stories about it

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I certainly don't know for sure, but it would appear it never actually made "takeoff" and dropped back onto the runway. Likely had a full fuel load, thus the extensive fire. Really bad news. :eek:

 

[Wyandot Jim]

My Dad who was a gunner on B-17s WWII, B-29s Korea and then assigned to B-36s Travis AFB CA after returning from Korean duty. He really hated the boring hours flying in the 36 due to the length of the missions which could last up to 40 hours then a short 24-hour mission. Not much for a gunner to do since there was nothing to shoot at. Not quite the same as flying in combat. That was one of the reasons along with the AF not having much need for gunners in the future is why he got out of the USAF.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker
Training missions were typically in two parts, a 40-hour flight—followed by time on the ground for refueling and maintenance—and then a 24-hour second flight. With a sufficiently light load, the B-36 could fly at least 10,000 mi (16,000 km) nonstop, and the highest cruising speed of any version, the B-36J-III, was at 230 mph (370 km/h). Engaging the jet engines could raise the cruising speed to over 400 mph (640 km/h). Hence, a 40-hour mission, with the jets used only for takeoff and climbing, flew about 9,200 mi (14,800 km).

 

[turd]

Someone had popped a comment in wondering how long it would take someone to blame President Trump for the crash.
Not sure if was if someone would blame him on this forum or in general. The comment was up for a very short time and taken down but that is what was being referred to.

Exactly. I didn't copy the post I was referring to and the poster took it down.

 

[Jakeintexas]

I suspect another failure of A.I. autonomous takeoff. Nothing like putting your life into the "hands" of a machine/computer.

Doubt it. Although the buff is difficult to fly it has standard hydraulic flight controls (without computer involvement; unlike the F-111 or modern day fighters or bombers). I know of no plans to change them or upgrade them. Only new avionics, radar, and engines (RR130s I believe).

 

[Jeepnik]

Growing up one of the folks I got to know was a test pilot at Edwards. He had a saying. Some planes you fly, some fly you.

 

[xTopGun]

Hmmm, I wonder what the wind conditions were at the time, that's a huge bird and especially vulnerable at take-off.... just wondering out loud

 

[Jeepnik]

We have been having some gusty winds of late. They can get nasty out in the desert.

 

[el caminero]

First heard it crashed on takeoff, later reportage has it making some moves before diving down to the left.