NTSB Preliminary Report Links GPS Jamming to Fatal King Air Crash in New Mexico

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals that active GPS jamming was present when a Beech King Air C90 air ambulance crashed into the Capitan Mountains near Ruidoso, N.M., on May 14, 2026, killing all four people on board.

According to the report, the crew lost GPS signal approximately six minutes into the flight. Air traffic controllers coordinated with White Sands Missile Range to temporarily halt the interference, but jamming resumed shortly after the crew reported sighting the landing strip and were cleared for a visual approach. The NTSB also noted that a weather station at the destination airport was out of service, further limiting the crew's situational awareness during the approach.

Investigation records indicate the GPS interference stemmed from routine, lawful military testing at White Sands Missile Range — consistent with hundreds of pilot reports citing GPS disruptions across New Mexico, West Texas and southern Arizona in recent years. The NTSB has designated the accident as WPR26FA186. No probable cause has been assigned; a final determination will follow completion of the full investigation.