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Lincoln New Mexico

New Mexico, United States: The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that a U.S. military GPS jamming exercise was underway when a Beechcraft C90 King Air air ambulance crashed into mountainous terrain near Lincoln, New Mexico, killing all four people on board. The findings were released in a preliminary report, meaning investigators have not yet determined the probable cause or contributing factors of the accident. The accident occurred at 0015 local time on May 14, 2026, after the aircraft, registered N249CP and operated by Generations Jets under Part 135 as an air ambulance flight, departed Roswell Air Center (ROW) to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (SRR) in Ruidoso to pick up a patient for transport to Albuquerque. The flight was crewed by two pilots and carried two flight nurses employed by Trans Aero Medical Services. The crash claimed the lives of Captain Keelan Clark, First Officer Ali Kawsara, and flight nurses Sarah Clark and Jamie Novick. According to the NTSB, GPS jamming activities conducted by the U.S. military were active over the accident area during the flight. Shortly after departure, the aircraft was cleared to 12,000 feet under instrument flight rules (IFR). At 0000:26, air traffic controllers advised the crew that the aircraft had climbed to 13,000 feet, 1,000 feet above its assigned altitude. The pilot responded that the aircraft had lost GPS capability and requested headings from air traffic control. The crew initially requested the RNAV (GPS) Runway 24 approach into Sierra Blanca Regional Airport but, after losing GPS navigation, switched to the ILS Runway 24 approach. At 0001:17, the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) controller contacted the operations supervisor and requested that the military stop the GPS jamming. The aircraft continued north while controllers provided radar headings. During the same period, three other aircraft also reported GPS outages, with one crew requiring additional assistance to identify a ground-based navigation aid. At about 0005, the ARTCC operations supervisor again contacted the military to stop the jamming, after which ADS-B transmissions returned to normal. At 0008, the accident crew reported having Ruidoso in sight and requested to continue visually. Controllers cleared the aircraft for a visual approach and advised the crew they could cancel IFR after descending below 9,000 feet or after landing. The pilots acknowledged the clearance and stated they would cancel IFR "in just a couple of minutes." No further radio transmissions were received. The aircraft then turned southwest toward Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. Between the airport and the aircraft lay the Capitan Mountains, which rise to 10,201 feet. Around 0010, after being informed the aircraft was on a visual approach, the military resumed the GPS jamming exercise. The King Air began descending before briefly climbing again. The final Spidertracks data point recorded the aircraft at 9,823 feet, 150 knots ground speed, and a heading of 250 degrees. Seconds later, it struck terrain at an elevation of about 9,950 feet, approximately 730 feet east and 230 feet below the Capitan Mountains Summit Radio Facility, triggering a post-impact fire that ignited a forest fire. Investigators also found that the crew's ForeFlight weather briefing included active NOTAMs warning that military GPS jamming would affect GPS, WAAS, GBAS and ADS-B navigation over a wide area encompassing the accident flight path and altitudes. Additional NOTAMs advised that Sierra Blanca Regional Airport's automated weather observation system (AWOS) was out of service, while the weather briefing indicated no METAR or TAF was available for the destination airport. The airport's published RNAV and ILS Runway 24 approach procedures also state that the procedures are not authorized when the local altimeter setting is unavailable. The NTSB emphasized that the report is preliminary and subject to change, and that it does not determine the accident's probable cause.

Military GPS Jamming Was Underway During Fatal Air Ambulance Flight, NTSB Says

Aviation Today News Desk / August 6, 2026

New Mexico, United States: The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that a U.S. military GPS jamming exercise […]

New Mexico, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary findings into the fatal crash of a medevac Beechcraft King Air C90 in New Mexico, revealing that the crew experienced a loss of GPS navigation capability while military GPS jamming operations were active in the region. The accident occurred shortly after midnight on May 14, 2026, near Lincoln, New Mexico. The aircraft, registration N249CP, was operating as an air ambulance flight under Part 135 regulations. The flight was being conducted by Generations Jets on behalf of Trans Aero Medical Services. All four people aboard the aircraft, two pilots and two flight nurses were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. According to the NTSB, the flight departed Roswell Air Center at approximately 11:52 p.m. local time on May 13 and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Ruidoso to pick up a patient for transport to Albuquerque. Investigators found that military GPS jamming activities were underway during the flight and encompassed the route being flown. Shortly after departure, the crew informed Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center that the aircraft had lost GPS capability and requested heading guidance from controllers. The crew initially planned to fly the RNAV (GPS) approach into Ruidoso but later requested the ILS Runway 24 approach after losing satellite-based navigation. During the same period, several other aircraft in the region also reported GPS disruptions, with one pilot requiring additional assistance to identify a ground-based navigation aid. Air traffic controllers contacted military authorities and requested that GPS jamming be suspended. Controllers subsequently provided radar vectors toward the airport. At approximately 12:08 a.m., while about 31 miles northeast of Ruidoso, the flight crew reported that they had the airport area in sight and could proceed visually. Controllers cleared the aircraft for a visual approach and advised that the crew could cancel IFR once established. No further communications were received from the aircraft. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft turning southwest toward Sierra Blanca Regional Airport and beginning its descent. The route crossed the Capitan Mountains, a rugged terrain area with peaks exceeding 10,000 feet. The aircraft descended to roughly 9,400 feet before initiating a slight climb. The final recorded position placed the airplane at about 9,823 feet and traveling approximately 150 knots. Seconds later, the aircraft struck terrain at an elevation of about 9,950 feet near the Capitan Mountains Summit Radio Facility. The impact occurred only a few hundred feet from the aircraft's final recorded position and triggered a post-crash fire that later spread into a forest fire. The preliminary report also revealed that pilots had been provided notices warning of GPS interference before departure. The flight briefing package contained a NOTAM advising that GPS, WAAS, GBAS and ADS-B services could be unavailable across a large area of New Mexico due to military operations. Additional notices indicated that Sierra Blanca Regional Airport's automated weather observation system was out of service. Investigators noted that no METAR or TAF weather reports were available for the airport at the time of the accident. The NTSB emphasized that the report is preliminary and that no probable cause has yet been determined. Investigators continue to examine the role of GPS interference, flight crew actions, navigation challenges, terrain clearance and other operational factors. A final report establishing the probable cause of the accident is expected following completion of the investigation.

NTSB Preliminary Report Details GPS Interference Before Fatal New Mexico Medevac Crash

Aviation Today News Desk / June 19, 2026

New Mexico, United States: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary findings into the fatal crash of

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