# Investigation Into Deadly B-52 Crash at Edwards Air Force Base Focuses on Engine Failure and Controllability

*2026-06-18 02:02 UTC · Other · 2 min read*

> All eight aboard were killed when a B-52H crashed at Edwards AFB on June 15; investigators are examining engine failure and controllability as likely causes.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 15, killing all eight people on board — a mix of military personnel, government civilians, and Boeing contractors. The aircraft, assigned to the 412th Test Wing, was on a radar modernization test flight when it went down at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time, sending a towering plume of black smoke into the Mojave Desert sky. It is the deadliest B-52 crash since 1982 and the first fatal crash of the type since 2016.

Investigators are now focusing on two key areas: a possible engine failure or a controllability problem during the critical takeoff phase. Aviation attorney Justin Green explained that crews face a "very critical moment of flight" on takeoff. The aircraft had recently received new Rolls-Royce F130 engines as part of a broader modernization program, though experts say the newly installed radar system is unlikely to have caused the crash. Two Boeing employees were among the eight killed.

Adding to the questions surrounding the crash, the wife of one crew member told reporters that her husband had flagged mechanical problems before the flight — saying the plane was "broken" and the mission had already been postponed once. The Air Force declined to comment on the claim. The investigation is expected to take up to six months, with wreckage analysis, maintenance records, and recovered flight data all under review.

## Sources

- [foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/deadly-b-52-crash-puts-focus-engines-controllability-investigators-hunt-answers)
- [abcnews.com](https://abcnews.com/US/air-force-52-bomber-crashes-shortly-after-takeoff/story?id=133899844)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1850-investigation-into-deadly-b-52-crash-at-edwards-air-force-base-focuses-on
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