US air force names eight killed in Boeing B-52 test flight crash in California

Air force officials have released the names of the eight men killed in this week’s fiery crash of a B-52 during a test flight at Edwards air force base in southern California . The deceased, whose identities had initially been withheld while the military notified next of kin, include four active-duty airmen, one reservist and three civilians, military officials said on Wednesday. The airfield where the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday remained closed but other base operations have resumed, according to a base spokesperson. No cause has been determined. Officials said it could take six months to complete the investigation . The victims were identified as: Col Gregory Watson, 53; retired Lt Col Miles Middleton, 50; Lt Col Gabriel Estrella, 40; Maj Alexander Davis, 34; Maj Robert Dee, 40; Maj Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” Col Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, said in a statement. Watson and Middleton were Boeing employees and the company said their loss “is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them.” Smith, who worked as a civilian flight test engineer for the defense department, had become a father to his second child four months before dying in the crash, NBC News reported . …