Military GPS Jamming Exercise Linked to Fatal New Mexico Air Ambulance Crash

A deadly air ambulance crash in New Mexico has prompted fresh scrutiny of how civilian aviation operates during military GPS-denial exercises, with federal investigators examining whether electronic warfare training poses an underappreciated risk to commercial flights. The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary findings showing the Beech King Air crew lost satellite navigation minutes after departing Roswell on May 14, coinciding with a planned military jamming operation that air traffic controllers twice requested be suspended.

The flight departed Roswell shortly before midnight bound for Ruidoso carrying two pilots and two flight nurses. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued an advance warning that military GPS jamming around White Sands Missile Range could disable navigation across a radius spanning hundreds of miles. Within minutes of takeoff, the pilots reported losing GPS capability and radioed controllers for assistance, who immediately asked military officials to pause the exercise.

Three additional aircraft in the vicinity also reported GPS outages during the exercise. After pilots reported seeing the destination airport and requested a visual approach, the military resumed the jamming operation. The aircraft descended toward the runway but struck terrain in the Capitan Mountains, killing all four people aboard. Investigators have not yet determined whether GPS interference directly caused or contributed to the crash.

The incident arrives as aviation authorities worldwide express alarm about escalating GPS disruption affecting civilian operations. The FAA now instructs pilots to prepare for flights without GPS, citing jamming as a threat “of greater and growing concern,” while the United Nations aviation agency warned that interference extends far beyond conflict zones. Industry data revealed GPS loss reports increased 65 percent in the first half of 2024 compared with the previous year.

Todd Humphreys, director of the University of Texas Radionavigation Laboratory, contends the crash exposes gaps in how quickly aviation technology has adapted to modern jamming threats. He noted that FAA-certified cockpit GPS receivers rely on older technology more vulnerable to interference than newer commercially available systems, and that a typical smartphone carried by the pilot likely contained superior GPS hardware than the aircraft’s certified navigation equipment.

Humphreys argued that while GPS technology itself has become more resilient, aviation certification processes have lagged dangerously behind evolving threats. International aviation organizations including the International Civil Aviation Organization issued joint warnings in March 2025 about increasing GPS jamming and spoofing incidents that create hazards across multiple flight regions and areas distant from direct military operations.

Paul Deres, vice president of operations at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute, emphasized that pilot training and proficiency remain paramount given the array of older and newer avionics in the general aviation fleet. He noted that all technology eventually fails and stressed the importance of preparation for such scenarios.

GPS interference has become routine in parts of Europe and the Middle East where regional conflicts trigger jamming and spoofing incidents affecting commercial carriers. In March 2025, multiple commercial airliners approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport received false collision alerts during Secret Service and U.S. Navy counter-drone testing, forcing several crews to execute go-arounds.

The FAA declined to address criticism that its certified GPS receivers have fallen behind newer technology but stated it issues notices alerting pilots to planned disruptions and maintains backup navigation systems. European regulators have repeatedly updated pilot and controller guidance following jamming incidents, most recently in July 2025.

Humphreys warned that as drone operations expand, GPS jamming for counter-drone purposes will proliferate among nation-states recognizing it as an effective defense strategy. He cautioned that the United States has so far avoided the severe disruption plaguing Europe but must accelerate modernization of aviation systems before GPS interference becomes a routine challenge, arguing that lengthy certification processes no longer serve safety in a changed operational environment.