First Victim Identified in Horrific B-52 Crash – Military Pilot Leaves Behind Wife and Two Children

There are holes in the lives of families as wide and black as the scar at Edwards Air Force Base in California where a B-52 crashed Monday, killing all eight people aboard.

Although Air Force officials have not yet identified those on board, family members have identified Lt. Col. Miles Middleton as the pilot, while civilian test engineer Jeromy Smith was also killed.

Middleton commanded the 419th Flight Test Squadron from 2016 to 2018, according to the New York Post.

The 419th oversees the Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force, which tests aircraft such as the B-52.

Miles Middleton has been identified as the pilot killed in yesterday’s crash near Edwards Air Force Base. Miles was the 419th FLTS Commander prior to becoming a contractor for Boeing.

Yesterday our Air Force family lost eight warriors at Edwards Air Force Base. Though their… pic.twitter.com/HTtvKRoDZU

— Military Support (@MilitaryCooI) June 16, 2026

A GoFundMe was created for the family Middleton left behind.

“Pam Middleton and her two children are facing an unimaginable loss after Pam’s husband, Miles, was tragically killed in the crash of the B-52 at Edwards Airforce base,” sponsor Melissa Lynch wrote.

“As a family friend, I’ve witnessed firsthand the strength and resilience Pam has shown, but the road ahead is filled with uncertainty and challenges,” she wrote, citing the costs ahead for education for the children.

A Facebook post from Redhome Aviation noted that Pam Middleton faces another issue — hate.

“When searching for information on her husband on an official social media page, Pam was met with awful comments from people that had no good advice to offer the wife of a B-52 test pilot. Away from home, she was searching for who she could contact for info, since she had not been reached otherwise. What used to be breaking news on nationals news channels is now available on the internet and legacy news even faster, but now comes with comments from the ill informed, abusive, or otherwise obtuse people,” the page posted.

Col. James Hayes said the bomber went down “immediately” after takeoff and that the crash was “tragic and unsurvivable,” according to the New York Post.

Hayes said knowing the cause of the crash could be months away.

Smith, a civilian with the Department of War, worked at Edwards for 10 years, his widow Lauren Smith said in a statement shared by his sister-in-law Lindsey Smith, according to CNN.

Lauren Smith must now raise her two sons — one a 2-year-old and one a 4-month-old — alone.

“He has been involved in several missions and dedicated his time doing what he loved,” Lauren Smith’s statement said.

The B-52 is one of the most impressive things humanity has ever built.

God bless every soul involved. There are inferior craft, and the Stratofortress isn’t one of them. There are planes that, when they go down, I frankly expect it.

When one of these bad boys crashes, there is…

— Gator Gar (@gatorgar) June 15, 2026

“He shared a special love for bomber planes, second to his family. He cherished being a father to two young boys… He was also an amazing, devoted husband. We will all miss him very much,” her statement said.

As noted by USA Today, the plane was on a radar modernization test at the time of the crash.

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