What happened
During a local training mission departing from Williams AFB, two United States Air Force heavy bombers collided in mid-air. The incident involved a Boeing B-50 (registration 46-049) and another Boeing B-50, identified by registration 47-101.
Following the impact, the crew of the aircraft registered as 47-101 managed to complete an emergency landing without further incident. However, the aircraft registered as 46-049 entered a steep dive toward the terrain. During the descent, four crew members successfully deployed parachutes and reached safety. One individual perished during the bailout process. The remaining seven crew members were unable to exit the aircraft before it impacted the San Juan Mountains, located southeast of Chandler.
In total, the accident resulted in eight fatalities and four survivors.
Findings
The specific sequence of events leading to the mid-air impact remains undetermined.