A fatal air-ambulance crash in New Mexico has been linked to satellite-navigation interference from a U.S. military GPS-jamming exercise, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). It is believed to be the first known case in which military GPS jamming has been tied to a deadly civilian aircraft accident in American airspace.
The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 King Air registered N249CP, was operated by Generations Jets under Part 135 rules on behalf of Trans Aero Medical Services. It departed Roswell Air Center at 23:52 on May 13 to collect a patient at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Ruidoso. Shortly after midnight on May 14, the twin-turboprop struck terrain in the Capitan Mountains near Ruidoso, killing both pilots and two flight nurses on board. The impact also ignited a wildfire that went on to burn thousands of acres.
According to the NTSB, the crew lost satellite navigation roughly eight minutes after takeoff. Over the next few minutes the pilots requested two different instrument approaches within a span of about four minutes before ultimately accepting a visual approach toward an airport with a mountain range in between. The attempt was made on a night with zero percent moon illumination, leaving the crew with little visual reference over high terrain.
The preliminary report indicates the pilot told air traffic control that GPS had been lost and that a heading was needed. At 00:01:17, the controller called a supervisor to request that the military stop jamming, and the supervisor made that call at around 00:05. Investigators found that GPS-jamming activities encompassing the area of the accident flight were being conducted by the U.S. military at the time, with the interference stemming from routine NAVFEST exercises at the White Sands Missile Range.
The King Air family has long been a mainstay of the air-ambulance and short-haul charter world, valued for its rugged turboprop reliability and its ability to operate into smaller regional fields that jets cannot easily reach. Medical-transport operators frequently fly at night and into mountainous or lightly served airports, a profile that leaves crews heavily dependent on accurate satellite navigation when visual cues are limited.
The case has drawn attention to the broader risk that intentional GPS interference can pose to civilian flights operating near military test ranges. Jamming exercises are typically published in advance through official notices, but the NTSB's account underscores how quickly a loss of satellite guidance can escalate for a small-crew operation flying an instrument approach at night in demanding terrain.
The NTSB's document is a preliminary report and does not establish a probable cause. A final report, which will assess the interplay of navigation loss, terrain, weather, crew decision-making and the coordination between civilian air traffic control and military range operators, is expected to follow after the full investigation is complete.
Sources: NTSB & Stars and Stripes. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Daniel Okafor.
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