What happened
The incident occurred during a scheduled night bombing exercise. The aircraft departed from Pueblo Airfield at 1654 local time. As the mission progressed into the evening, meteorological conditions worsened significantly, with snowfall reducing visibility to levels that were likely below operational minima. The airplane subsequently impacted the slope of a mountain, striking with its left wing first. The impact triggered a massive explosion near Ordway, which completely destroyed the airframe. All 10 crew members on board perished in the accident.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the crash was a controlled flight into terrain event. It is believed that at the time of the impact, the prevailing weather conditions were below the minimum standards required for safe operation.