00:20Who
00:21were the eight Americans who died on Monday morning? That is the question the
00:26entire country is asking right now. And tonight we still don't have full answers.
00:32What we do know is this. A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed
00:39shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.
00:45The time 11 20 in the morning local time. The date June 15th 2026. All eight people
00:54on board are dead. So let's break down who exactly was on that aircraft.
01:00According to officials the crew was not purely military. It was a mix uniformed
01:07Air Force personnel, government civilians, and government contractors. And among
01:12the eight were two employees of Boeing. The company has confirmed this and says it
01:18is now supporting the families of those lost. The flight itself involved test work
01:23tied directly to Boeing systems on the aircraft. The mission was described as
01:29routine reportedly linked to radar modernization testing. But what
01:34happened next was anything but routine. Officials reviewing the crash footage
01:40called it unsurvivable. The aircraft was carrying a heavy fuel load at the time of
01:46the crash. When it went down it burst into flames almost instantly. Witnesses and
01:52aerial footage described a massive fireball followed by a thick plume of black
01:57smoke rising over the desert. By the time emergency crews arrived there was
02:02virtually nothing left of the aircraft intact. Colonel James Hayes deputy
02:08commander of the 412th test wing called it a horrible tragedy. His words were
02:14simple and heavy. We lost eight great Americans. Now as of the latest reports on
02:21June 16th the Air Force has not released a single name. Why? Because next of kin
02:28notifications are still underway. Officials along with Boeing are working through the
02:33painstaking process of informing families before any names go public. And here's a warning for
02:40anyone scrolling social media right now. Names have already started circulating on
02:45platforms like Facebook claiming to identify the victims. According to
02:50reputable outlets including AP and Reuters those names are unverified, possibly
02:56inaccurate. The official line from every credible source remains the same.
03:01Identities are withheld pending notification. So please be cautious about what you see
03:08shared online in the coming hours. Edwards Air Force Base where this happened is not
03:14just any airfield. It's one of the most important test and research centers for
03:19the entire US military. Located roughly 60 miles north of Los Angeles it's where
03:25America tests the future of its air power. After the crash the base shut down its
03:31airfield completely. Inbound aircraft were diverted. Visitor access was suspended.
03:37The entire base redirected its full focus to emergency response. Now let's talk about
03:44the aircraft itself because its story adds another layer to this tragedy. The B-52
03:50first flew in 1954. It was built for one purpose originally. A potential war with the
03:57Soviet Union. Over 70 decades later it is still flying. Continually upgraded. Continually
04:05relied upon. This machine has a wingspan of 185 feet. A length of 159 feet. It typically carries
04:14a crew of five. An aircraft commander. A pilot. A radar navigator. A navigator. And an electronic
04:22warfare officer. It has a combat range of up to 8,800 miles. And yes it remains capable of carrying
04:30a nuclear payload. This machine has flown into Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan and most
04:38recently into the skies over Iran. A machine built for the Cold War still flying America's most sensitive
04:46missions today. And on Monday during what was supposed to be a routine test it became the site of one
04:53of the
04:54deadliest Air Force accidents in recent memory. Tonight eight families are waiting for a knock on the door and a
05:02nation is waiting for names and for answers. The investigation is now underway. Similar B-52 test flights have already
05:11been
05:11grounded as a precaution.
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05:35One India.
05:37One India.
05:37One India.
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