Overview
- A B-52H Stratofortress operating as Torch 11 crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base on June 15, killing eight people aboard.
- The victims included active-duty airmen, reservists, retirees, Air Force civilians and contractor personnel who were part of the 412th Test Wing and 419th Flight Test Squadron.
- Base first responders fought fires, secured the debris field and concluded from crash footage that the impact was unsurvivable as recovery and identification proceeded.
- A multi-step Air Force inquiry has begun with an Interim Safety Investigation Board fact‑gathering phase and an Accident Investigation Board expected to follow before any causal findings are released.
- The loss has prompted a June 29 memorial at Edwards and raised immediate questions about flight‑test safety and possible impacts on the long‑running B-52 Radar Modernization Program.