Crew killed in B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base identified
Key takeaways
- 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.
- Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.
- “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” said Col.
The eight crew members killed Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Fore Base, clockwise from top left: Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif. Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, Calif. Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, weapon systems officer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Col. (select) Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas), Shreveport, La. Maj. Robert Dee, 40, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif. Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4 contractor, Lancaster, Calif. Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif. Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif. Lancaster, Calif. (U.S. Air Force) By Salvador Hernandez and Summer Lin June 17, 2026 10:50 AM PT 3 5 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
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.