Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism after a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that military GPS jamming from the White Sands Missile Range was active when a medical evacuation aircraft crashed into a mountain ridge in New Mexico in May, killing all four people aboard.
Investigators said the Beechcraft C-90 air ambulance crashed into the Capitan Mountains near Ruidoso shortly after midnight on May 14 while flying from Roswell to pick up a patient. The accident killed both pilots and two flight nurses and sparked a wildfire that burned tens of thousands of acres before firefighters brought it under control.
The NTSB's report found the crew reported losing GPS navigation shortly after takeoff. Air traffic controllers then asked military officials to temporarily suspend GPS-jamming operations so they could help direct the aircraft. Other commercial and private pilots in the area also reported significant GPS interference that night.
The military exercise had been announced in advance through standard aviation notices warning of potential GPS disruptions within a 240-nautical-mile radius of White Sands Missile Range. Investigators also found discrepancies between the aircraft's recorded GPS altitude and its actual flight path.
The NTSB stressed that its preliminary findings are factual only and do not identify a probable cause. Investigators are continuing to review cockpit data, radar records, and the potential impact of military electronic warfare exercises on civilian aviation safety.
You can see a news report about the new findings below.
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The findings were published weeks ago but have attracted more attention amid continued criticism over Hegseth's Iran war response and other moves—including the ongoing seizure of alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean—that have killed people and placed the lives of hundreds of millions at risk.
Many have openly condemned him as a result.
Hegseth has not yet responded to criticisms.
Wired reported that although the flight crew had been warned about the military GPS-jamming exercise, experts said there were insufficient safeguards and a lack of air traffic control support to help prevent a potential accident.
GPS interference incidents have risen sharply in recent years, increasing from just four reported cases in 2020 to 50 in 2024, with another 40 recorded in 2025, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Aviation experts said the pilots might have been able to land safely had they relied on ground-based navigation systems or switched to visual flight. White Sands Missile Range, where the GPS jamming originated, is located about 65 kilometers from Ruidoso, where the aircraft was attempting to land after dark.
A more comprehensive evaluation of NTSB's findings is underway.
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