this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2026
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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 58 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

even modernized, those planes are old. OLD old. They all used to be packed with vacuum tubes sort of old. The last one ever built left the assembly line in 1962. 64 years ago.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I mean even so we should've had them all replaced not only by now, but with some regularity. Every moving part should've been inspected she tested before this flight. Ffs, we still have 58 in active service!

I'm not saying they're perfect, but they are doing something right, and more care should've been taken before a test flight with civilians.

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip -1 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, they're inspected regularly, and not just the moving parts but the non-moving parts too. And they've all been completely rebuilt at least once.

[–] Gates9@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago

It’s the plane Slim Pickens flies in Dr. Strangelove

[–] Melobol@lemmy.ml 41 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (8 children)

It is not immediately clear if there are any injuries.

Edit - newer info:

Monday afternoon, the base said eight people were on the aircraft during a routine test mission.
"Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,"

Edit - latest info:

Eight people died after a B-52 Stratofortress crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff on a test mission Monday from Edwards Air Force base in California's Mojave Desert

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

It’s not like there’s ejection seats but it would be fuckin wild if someone managed to jump out of the bomb bay.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 36 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

bomb bay

It's been renamed to Mumbai

[–] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It'd've been wild if someone had managed to jump out the Mumbai

[–] zeejoo@thelemmy.club 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Huh, TIL thanks. That’s just for flight crew though, I imagine the techs were in the bay with no idea

[–] zeejoo@thelemmy.club 2 points 3 weeks ago

100% although 8 souls aboard is atypical. Crew usually consists of 5, all of whom can eject.

[–] Melobol@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So they don't have ejection seats.
That doesn't bode well.

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

I was wrong about that but only for the flight crew, it was designed to just carry a whole bunch of bombs so not a lot of passenger safety measures built in.

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[–] Dremor@lemmy.world 28 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Well, that's a Boeing, so a small percentage of crashes are to be expected.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They were built so long ago that it was back when Boeing's engineering reputation was good.

[–] Dremor@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Well, unfortunately the current priorities may not be the same as it was then.

No matter how well something is built, if the maintenance is bad, you waste all that good engineering.

[–] Atropos@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Some of them are designed to not crash at all!

[–] PodPerson@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well did a wave hit it? Was it made with cardboard or any cardboard derivatives?

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

So no paper?

[–] itsjustachairmary@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

One down, a bunch more to go, thank you for your service in getting rid of these

[–] Mpatch@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

Wat? There's like 3 more left. They are a museum piece.

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