–An Algona native has been identified as one of the 8 U.S. Military members who were killed Monday when a B-52 bomber crashed at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.
Air Force officials identified Major Brad Hovey, 35, as one of the deceased. Maj. Hovey was a pilot with the 419th Flight Test Squadron and stationed at Edwards Air Force base.
Hovey was born in Algona and was a 2009 graduate of ADM High School in Adel.
Military officials say it could take as many as six months to determine why the B-52 Stratofortress crashed during a test flight.
A release from the Air Force says the plane that crashed was taking part in a test mission as part of a program aimed at making the 65-year-old bomber fleet operable through at least 2050. The bomber had arrived at Edwards in December after having a modernized radar installed at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio.
The full list of victims includes:
- Col. Gregory Watson, 53, weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas), Shreveport, La.
- Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif.
- Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, pilot, Boeing, Tehachapi, 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, Calif.
- Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, pilot, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
- Jeromy Smith, 32, flight test engineer, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Rosamond, Calif.
- Christopher Rischar, 41, flight test engineer, JT4 contractor, Lancaster, Calif.
