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Military Law

Jul. 7, 2026

B-52 crash raises important questions of federal law

The June 15 B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, which killed eight people, creates a legal divide under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Feres Doctrine: civilian contractors' families may pursue wrongful death claims against the Air Force, while families of the active-duty servicemembers killed in the same crash are likely barred from suing.

Michael E. Rubinstein

Law Office of Michael E. Rubinstein

433 N Camden Drive Suite 600
Beverly Hills , CA 90210

Phone: (213) 293-6075

Fax: (323) 400-4585

Email: Michael@rabbilawyer.com

Loyola Law School; Los Angeles CA

Michael is a Los Angeles-based personal injury and accident attorney.

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B-52 crash raises important questions of federal law
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On June 15, the United States Air Force suffered a terrible tragedy. A B-52 Stratofortress crashed during takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base. Everyone aboard was killed. The crash marks the deadliest B-52 aviation accident since 1982.

This high-profile crash involving one of the military's most iconic bomber jets is sure to raise legal questions. Some of the passengers on board the aircraft were civilian contractors and not active-duty personnel. This ...

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