A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress involved in a deadly crash at a California Air Force base made a sharp right turn, nearly completed a full 180-degree turn, and then plummeted to the ground at close to a mile per minute, according to limited flight tracking data released Tuesday.
All eight people aboard were killed when the bomber went down in flames Monday at Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft was taking part in a routine mission connected to a broader program aimed at keeping the long-serving plane operational for decades to come. The cause of the crash shortly after takeoff remains unknown, and officials at the base said the investigation could take as long as six months to wrap up.
The airfield was still closed as of Tuesday. Crews were working to make the crash site safe enough for search and recovery teams to enter, following fires that continued burning overnight. Mike Paoli, a spokesperson for the 412 Test Wing at Edwards, provided that update.
Flight tracking data from AirNav Systems shows the bomber turned to the northeast immediately after liftoff, nearly completing a sharp turn before going down on another runway. The tracking system used — known as multilateration — does not provide precise altitude or speed readings, but it does indicate the aircraft dropped at a rate of 5,056 feet (1,541 meters) per minute. That is nearly ten times faster than a typical plane descends when coming in for a landing.
The plane was supporting a radar modernization program, according to Col. James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412 Test Wing, who spoke Monday. In 2025, Boeing delivered a B-52 to Edwards equipped with an upgraded radar system that is central to keeping the bomber airworthy through at least 2050 — nearly a century after it first entered military service.
A test team had planned to carry out both ground and flight test activities on the aircraft throughout 2026 to inform a production decision, the Air Force stated in a 2025 news release. The new Active Electronically Scanned Array, or AESA, radar replaced the plane’s outdated radar system. It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft involved in Monday’s crash was the same one used in that program.
The AESA system replaced radar technology dating back to the 1960s and provides improved navigation and targeting capabilities, according to a 2023 news release from Raytheon, the company that designed the new system for the entire B-52 fleet.
The B-52 is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955 and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. It has been deployed in U.S. military conflicts ranging from Vietnam to Iran.
In addition to the radar upgrade, the fleet of 76 B-52s is scheduled to receive a range of other improvements, including new engines, crew compartments, communication systems for both conventional and nuclear operations, avionics, and weapons. The military’s goal is to have the B-52 serve alongside the Air Force’s newest strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider.
Aerial footage of the crash site showed virtually nothing remained of the aircraft, which went down at the base located in the Mojave Desert roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. Officials said after reviewing crash footage that survival was not possible, according to Hayes, who spoke at a news conference.
Those aboard the aircraft included both government contractors and active military personnel. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed that two of its employees were among those killed.
Edwards Air Force Base is home to a significant share of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft testing and development work. The 412th Test Wing, which oversees operations at the base, handles developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components — both before purchase and throughout their operational lives. The base is also historically notable as the location where Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947, reaching Mach 1.05.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said the way the B-52 crashed so rapidly after takeoff — without gaining much altitude or distance — leads him to suspect some type of flight control malfunction. He suggested the controls may have been improperly set following maintenance, or that a catastrophic engine problem or a failure in equipment being tested could be to blame.
“I think it was definitely a controllability issue. Now, whether that was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure, I’m not sure,” said Guzzetti, who previously investigated crashes for both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Fatal Air Force training accidents in recent years have included an instructor pilot killed in 2024 when an ejection seat activated while the aircraft was still on the ground in Texas, an Air Force ROTC cadet who died in a 2022 Humvee accident during a training exercise in Idaho, and two Air Force pilots killed when a trainer jet crashed near an Alabama airport in 2021.
