Crew killed in B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base identified
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Military officials have identified the eight crew members killed Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during what officials said was a routine test mission.The victims were identified as Air Force Col.Gregory Watson, 53; Lt.
Col.Gabriel Estrella, 40; retired Lt.
Col.Miles Middleton, 50; Maj.
Alexander Davis, 34; Maj.Robert Dee, 40; Maj.
Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” said Col.
Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing in a statement.The crash occurred shortly after takeoff in what military officials said was supposed to be a test flight to update the B-52’s radar, and a wider effort to modernize the 70-year-old heavy bomber fleet.Base officials said the airfield is expected to remain closed until Thursday, as cleanup operations continue after the fiery crash.
Flight test operations at the base are not expected to resume until next week.Several of those killed were part of the 419th Flight Test Squadron, including Davis, Dee, Hovey and Smith.
The squadron has been responsible for testing several bombers, including the B-1B, B-2A, and the B-52 Stratofortress.“These Airmen were more than coworkers,” Tauer said in a statement.“They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family.”Although the Air Force’s fleet of B-52s have been assigned to bases in North Dakota and Louisiana, some of the fleet have been recently sent to Edwards Air Force Base for testing, as the Pentagon looks to update and deploy the newest version of the plane.
In May, Air Force officials announced Boeing was looking to modify the aircraft and replace its 1960s-era engines with F130 Rolls-Royce engines, and begin testing it at Edwards Air Force Base.Testing for those engines is expected to begin lat...