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The B-52 bomber entered service during the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.
More than seven decades later, the Air Force is spending billions of dollars to modify the Cold War-era bomber with new engines, improved avionics and improved radar systems designed to keep it flying into the 2050s.
That effort to modernize was put on display Monday when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California during a test, killing all eight people on board.
The team included military personnel, government civilians and contractors who support the flight test mission. Boeing later confirmed that two of its employees were among those on board.
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The crash marks the loss of one of the 76 B-52s remaining in the Air Force inventory. The nuclear-powered bomber remains the mainstay of America's bomber force and is expected to serve alongside the Air Force's next-generation B-21 Raider for decades to come.
The B-52 bomber entered service during the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
As investigators begin to piece together what happened, aviation attorney and helicopter pilot Justin Green said the fact that the plane went down shortly after takeoff may change the investigation.
“It's a flight control issue, some kind of engine failure, because they're in a very critical phase of flight when you're just taking off,” Green told Fox News Digital. “So I think that's where the focus is going to be.”
Green, who serves as chairman of the executive committee of plaintiffs in the lawsuits stemming from the 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia and is involved in a case related to the January 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River, cautioned that investigators are still in the early stages of the investigation.
“The important thing in an investigation is that you don't assume anything,” Green said. “In the early days, you have to keep an open mind and follow the facts where the facts lead you.”
A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, on Monday, officials said. (KTTV)
The plane was conducting field tests in support of the Air Force's advanced radar system when it crashed, according to the Air Force. Edwards Air Force Base serves as the Air Force's aircraft testing center, where aircraft are often used to test new technologies and repairs before they are incorporated into the wider fleet.
The Air Force is currently pursuing one of the most ambitious modernization efforts in B-52 history.
The service plans to equip the bombers with new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, improved avionics and a modern active electronically scanned array radar intended to improve navigation, targeting and situational awareness while extending the aircraft's operational life to mid-century.
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The timing of the crash drew attention to that development. But Green said the radar system itself is not an obvious explanation based on the limited facts available.
“I think it's very unlikely,” Green said when asked if the new radar system contributed to the crash. “The new radar system shouldn't really affect the aircraft's ability to fly safely.”
While investigators are expected to examine all aspects of the flight and operation, Green said they are likely to focus on factors directly affecting the plane's ability to safely exit the runway and board after takeoff.
US Air Force personnel test a B-52 Stratofortress long-range bomber on a pan at RAF Fairford during Exercise Cobra Warrior 2025 in England. (Getty Images)
The age of the B-52 is also expected to be part of the discussion. The bomber entered service in the 1950s and remains one of the oldest aircraft in the US military's inventory. However, Green said investigators may focus more on maintenance records, newly installed parts and performance characteristics than on the original design of the plane.
“This is a very old plane,” Green said. “The problem won't be a design problem. It will be a manufacturing problem if it's a new part or a maintenance problem or a testing problem.”
Investigators are expected to analyze physical evidence found at the crash site, as well as maintenance records and any available flight data. According to Green, the wreckage itself will “tell a story,” and likely provide many of the answers investigators are looking for.
He added that details of the flight and cockpit footage, if found, would be critical to reconstructing the flight's final moments.
The involvement of Boeing contractors and employees on the plane may also raise different legal questions depending on how investigators ultimately determine the cause of the crash.
Military personnel generally cannot sue the federal government for injuries or deaths that occur during military service because of the Feres doctrine, which is a long-standing legal precedent. Contractors are not subject to the same restrictions, although potential claims can still face significant legal hurdles depending on the circumstances of the crash and the role of any companies involved.
“Unless the perpetrator did something wrongfully, knowingly that was negligent, they may be immune from any kind of liability,” Green said.
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For now, however, Green stressed that determining responsibility remains very low on the list of priorities.
The Air Force has not publicly identified the cause of the crash. Investigators are expected to spend weeks and possibly months examining evidence before reaching any conclusions about what brought down one of the military's most famous planes.
