All Eight Victims of B-52 Bomber Crash at Edwards Air Base Identified

The names of the eight U.S. Air Force members killed Monday in a B-52 Stratofortress crash were made public on Wednesday afternoon.

The B-52 Stratofortress crashed at approximately 11:20 a.m. PDT on June 15 shortly after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, a major flight-test center in California’s Mojave Desert, according to Air Force officials who at the time of the incident stated that initial indications were “that the crash was not survivable.”

The names were released this afternoon after the Air Force, in accordance with Department of Defense policy, waited 24 hours and after all next of kin were notified.

These are the names, ages and ranks of the fallen Edwards service members:

• Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10^th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas), Shreveport, La.
• Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif.
• Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, Calif.
• Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, weapon systems officer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Lancaster, Calif.
• Maj. Robert Dee, 40, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
• Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
• Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif.
• Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4 contractor, Lancaster, Calif.

“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I can now share the names of the eight extraordinary Americans we lost during Monday’s B-52 crash,” Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing Commander, told workers and families at Edwards AFB according to a press release. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates.”

“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, loved ones and fellow Airmen, Air Force civilians and mission partners affected by this tragedy.”

Following the crash, Lauren Smith—the wife of Jeromy Smith—confirmed to Eyewitness News KBAK-CBS and FOX58 that her husband, was among the victims and served as a flight test engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and died doing what he loved.

“It is such a horrible hurt, and I’m still processing everything that happened,” she said.

She later told NBC News that Jeromy was only at Edwards for a week. The couple had two children: Fletcher, 2, and Fallon, who was born four months ago.

How the Crash Happened

The aircraft, according to the Associated Press, took off on a clear day though headed southwest into prevailing winds when it flew and crashed on the same 15,000-foot runway. Service members were reportedly conducting a local test flight supporting the service’s Radar Modernization Program when it went down on base property and caught fire.

Video from the scene showed a large plume of black smoke rising from the crash site as emergency crews responded, with initial reports noting the severity of the crash based on the destruction of the bomber.

Credit: Loadmasters from the 418th Flight Test Squadron and Specialists from the 412th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, load up specialized equipment for a Mission Readiness Execise on an aircraft provided by the 105th Airlift Wing from Stewart Air National Guard Base. (Edwards Air Base)

“These Airmen were more than coworkers,” Tauer said. “They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family.”

Our immediate focus is supporting the families of the teammates we lost and ensuring that all appropriate resources are available to them during this time of unimaginable loss.

Officials at the base have stated that an investigation into the deadly crash could take six months to complete. The crash remains under investigation by an Interim Safety Investigation Board, Edwards officials said Wednesday.

The airfield is closed until further notice.