Edwards B-52 Crash Probe May Take 6 Months After 8 Die in Test Flight
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 16
Edwards B-52 Crash Probe May Take 6 Months After 8 Die in Test Flight
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 16
Summary
A six-month investigation is now expected after a Boeing B-52 crashed Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, killing all eight people aboard and leaving the airfield closed Tuesday.
Flight-tracking data showed the bomber made a sharp right turn, then nearly reversed course before plunging at about 5,056 feet per minute onto another runway shortly after takeoff.
Mike Paoli said crews were still securing the wreckage after overnight flare-ups, delaying search and recovery teams; the victims included Boeing staff, government workers, military personnel and civilian contractors.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former FAA and NTSB investigator, said the rapid loss of control points to a likely controllability problem tied to flight controls, an engine failure or test equipment.
The aircraft was supporting a radar modernization program at Edwards, where the Air Force tests aircraft and systems; the upgraded B-52 radar is central to keeping the bomber flying through at least 2050.