Bodies of victims of B-52 crash to be transported to Dover AFB

The bodies of the eight people killed in the crash of a B-52 at Edwards Air Force Base in California will be transported Friday to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the base said in a statement.

The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover will make identification confirmations and prepare the bodies for return to their families, the statement said. The process is private and not open to the public.

More than 700 people from the base gathered Wednesday night at the flight line chapel to light candles in honor the victims. The base’s Emergency Family Assistance Center remains open, providing chaplain support, disaster mental health services, child care assistance and legal counsel to all with base access.

The eight people were identified on Wednesday:

• Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, 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.

• Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB.

• Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif.

• Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist), Shreveport, La.

• Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, Calif.

• Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4, Lancaster, Calif.

The B-52 Stratofortress was on a radar test mission when it crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff at Edwards on Monday morning.

“It took off and immediately after crashed and burst into flames,” deputy base commander Col. James Hayes said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation; it will involve teams of experts from throughout the Air Force.

The Edwards airfield reopened Thursday, but regular flight-testing operations will not start again until next week.