EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (KERO) — Limited information is coming from Edwards Air Force Base following a plane crash presumed to have killed 8 people.
Lauren Smith said her husband, Jeromy Smith, a flight test engineer for the Department of Defense, was one of the 8 people presumed dead following a B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base on Monday.
"It was supposed to just be another routine day of work, um, he's been doing it for 10 years, and it's the same routine every day, like get up, get ready, kiss me goodbye, and go," Lauren Smith said.
The crash happened just after takeoff around 11:20 a.m. on Monday and was deemed not survivable for the mixed crew of military personnel and contractors aboard.
Col. James Hayes addressed the cause of the crash at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW:
"At this point, we don't have any indication as to what the cause was of this; we won't be able to release that information, and we don't have an ability to get that anytime soon," Hayes said.
A base spokesperson said the names of the victims have not yet been released. The spokesperson noted in an email that the airfield at the base is closed until further notice and that crews dealt with startup fires throughout the evening. Explosive ordnance disposal and maintenance technicians were on scene Tuesday to help secure the area and allow the search and recovery team to begin its work.
Jeromy Smith leaves behind a wife and two small children. Lauren Smith described her husband as an incredible and selfless individual.
"He was our rock, um, our supporter. My number one supporter. Someone our kids look up to. A role model, father, son. Amazing, amazing guy, um, that if anyone got to know, if anyone, like all people that truly, truly got to know his soul were lucky to," Lauren Smith said.
Edwards Air Force Base has opened its Emergency Family Assistance Center to those managing grief associated with the crash. The center is open to all active duty, civilian and contractor personnel on base.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
