Eight crew members are believed to be dead in a B-52 bomber crash shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday morning, the base said.

The identities of the eight crew members onboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber that crashed near Edwards Air Force Base on June 15 have been released by the military.

Watson and Middleton were Boeing employees and the company said their loss "is deeply felt across our teams, and our hearts remain with their families, loved ones and those who worked with them.”