The remains of all eight crew members who died on Monday at Edwards Air Force Base will be airlifted to another Air Force base for further identification and post-mortem care on Friday.
On Wednesday, the base confirmed the identities of the eight individuals who perished in the B-52 Stratofortress crash. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed and burst into flames on the base’s runway, with officials saying it was unsurvivable.
The remains of Col. Gregory Watson, 53, Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, Maj. Robert Dee, 40, Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, Jeromy Smith, 32, and Christopher Rischar, 41, will be airlifted to Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, according to a Thursday social media post.
Those killed are a mix of military personnel and government civilians and contractors that were taking part in a routine test mission in support of the radar modernization program.
At Dover, the remains will undergo further identification confirmation and preparation for return to their families. The release did not specify what that process entails.
On Wednesday, more than 700 Edwards base members joined together at the flightline chapel for a candlelight vigil in honor of the eight people who passed.
“The base’s Emergency Family Assistance Center remains open until further notice, providing chaplain support, disaster mental health services, child care assistance, and legal counsel to all with base access,” the statement reads.
Edwards will release details next week regarding a base memorial service.
Following the crash, the base closed the airfield and diverted all inbound traffic to allow for emergency response operations. Emergency responders worked to combat the flames from the crash and recover the aircraft’s black box to be used in the investigation.
Edwards’ airfield was reopened Thursday afternoon, but regular flight-testing operations will not resume until next week.
An Interim Safety Investigation Board is currently investigating the crash until the SIB begins to determine the crash’s cause, which can take up to 30 days. Then, an Accident Investigation Board will commence and take roughly six months to determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.