Flight operations have resumed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, one week after a B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff during a test mission, killing all eight people on board.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the base reopened its airfield on June 18, while flight test activities and operations conducted by the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School resumed on June 22.
The crash occurred on June 15 and involved B-52H serial number 60-0061, which was assigned to a sortie supporting the bomber's radar modernization program. The aircraft went down immediately after departure and was destroyed by fire.
The eight victims included active-duty Air Force personnel, civilian employees and contractors involved in the test program.
The accident temporarily halted flying activities at one of the U.S. Air Force's most important flight test centers. Edwards serves as the primary location for developmental testing of military aircraft, weapons and advanced aerospace technologies.
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While the investigation remains underway, Air Force officials told the publication that no flight restrictions have been imposed on the remaining B-52H fleet. The service currently operates 75 examples of the long-range bomber.
The B-52 involved in the accident was supporting tests linked to the bomber's modernization program. The U.S. Air Force is developing the AN/APQ-188 radar to replace the aircraft's aging AN/APQ-166 system, while also re-engining the fleet with Rolls-Royce F130 turbofans.
The combined upgrades will lead to the redesignation of the aircraft as the B-52J, extending the service life of the bomber well beyond the middle of the century.
