India, June 16 -- Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, a decorated test pilot, has been identified as the first victim of Monday's deadly B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He is survived by his wife, Pam, and their two children. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the family in the wake of the tragedy.

According to the New York Post, Middleton spent years in key leadership roles within the Air Force's flight-testing program. From 2016 to 2018, he led the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, a unit involved in evaluating and advancing bomber capabilities for the US military.

During his tenure, Middleton worked closely with teams responsible for testing and assessing strategic aircraft. ...