Edwards Air Force Base Releases Names of Eight Killed in B-52 Crash
The release followed the required 24-hour waiting period after all next-of-kin notifications were completed.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The base on Wednesday publicly identified the eight people killed when a B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff during a routine test mission Monday morning.
The release followed the required 24-hour waiting period after all next-of-kin notifications were completed.
Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, stated that the eight were “dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates.” He added that they were “friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family.”
Identification Of Those Killed In The Crash
The eight Team Edwards members killed were:
Col. (sel) Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10th 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.
Assessment: Those lost in the crash included a mix of active-duty test squadron personnel, operational test center staff, a reservist serving in a civilian Boeing role, and contractors. Accumulated experience included weapons systems, piloting, and engineering from the 419th Flight Test Squadron and its partners.
