Experimental Military GPS Jamming Cited in Fatal New Mexico Medevac Plane Crash
Wired said the crash was the first known case of military GPS jamming downing a civilian plane in U.S. airspace.
- A new Wired report alleges a May 14, 2026, medical plane crash in New Mexico, killing four, occurred after a US military GPS jamming exercise disrupted navigation systems.
- Officials at the White Sands Missile Range conducted an experimental GPS jamming test that night, affecting at least three other aircraft and overwhelming Albuquerque air traffic control capacity.
- The twin-engine plane carried pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara alongside nurses Sarah Clark and Jamie Novick, crashing into the 10,000-foot Capitan Mountains while flying from Roswell to Ruidoso.
- Following the tragedy, the US National Transportation Board launched an investigation into this first known instance of military GPS jamming contributing to a civilian plane crash in US airspace.
- Industry data from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association shows GPS interference events surged from four in 2020 to 50 in 2024, prompting experts to stress balancing military readiness with civilian flight safety.
24 Articles
24 Articles
The tragedy occurred on May 14. The Beechcraft King Air C90 ambulance took off from Roswell Air Center Airport in Roswell at 11:52 p.m. local time, bound for Sierra Blanca Airport in Ruidoso to pick up a patient. It never arrived. Twenty-three minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed in the mountains near Lincoln. Two pilots and two nurses died. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the crash. On Wednesda…
NTSB investigating plane crash tied to military jamming activities
A little-reported medical evacuation transport flight that crashed in New Mexico in May has received a fresh groundswell of media scrutiny, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board to say it is actively investigating the incident almost three months later. The flight traveling from Roswell Air Center, New Mexico, to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in the same state in the early hours of May 14 flew near where the U.S. military was condu…
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Investigators say one unexpected problem set the stage for a fatal medical flight crash
A preliminary federal investigation into a fatal medical transport flight in New Mexico has identified military GPS interference as a significant factor that complicated the crew’s flight, though investigators have not concluded it was the direct cause of the crash, The Economic Times reported. The National Transportation Safety Board said the aircraft encountered navigation disruptions before striking mountainous terrain while approaching its d…
GPS suddenly went dark. Minutes later, a medical plane crashed into a New Mexico mountain
A medical evacuation flight crashed in New Mexico after GPS failure. The aircraft lost navigation due to a military jamming exercise nearby. Air traffic control attempted to guide the plane after the GPS malfunction. Pilots switched to visual flight rules in darkness and crashed into mountains. The investigation suggests GPS interference was a key factor in the fatal incident.
US military allegedly caused New Mexico civilian medical plane crash with experimental jammer test, no survivors
A new report alleges the US military is responsible for a New Mexico civilian plane crash that killed everyone on board after an experimental jammer test disrupted onboard systems. Wired has published an article detailing that on May 14 2026, officials at the White Sands Missile Base in New Mexico were conducting a test of an experimental GPS jamming device. The publication says that at the same time as the test, a twin-engine medevac plane depa…
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