B-52 bomber crashes at Edwards Air Force Base in California

Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times on Jun 15, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber plane crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday morning, leaving behind a major plume of smoke that could be seen across Los Angeles County’s high desert.

It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was injured or killed in the crash. The air force base only confirmed in a post on social media that a B-52 Stratofortress crashed “shortly after takeoff” on the base’s airfield at 11:20 a.m. Pacific time.

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

As of 1 p.m., the base said the airfield had been closed, and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. Visitor passes were also being suspended for the day “to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” the update said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what agencies were responding to the incident, but Edwards Airforce Base has its own fire department, with five fire stations located across the base.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it was not currently responding to any incidents at the base. The Kern County Fire Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Edwards Air Force Base is located primarily in rural southeast Kern County, but part of the base stretches into east San Bernardino County and north L.A. County, not far from Lancaster.

The B-52 Stratofortress is described by the military as a “long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions,” known as the “backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States.”

There are typically five crew members on such a plane, including an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer, according to the U.S. Air Force.