Federal investigators say a medical transport plane that crashed into New Mexico’s Capitan Mountains last month experienced GPS interference linked to military signal jamming. The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined, however, whether it caused the accident.
The twin-engine aircraft, based at Roswell Air Center, was flying to Albuquerque shortly after midnight on May 14 when it crashed near Ruidoso, according to a preliminary NTSB report. The plane hit terrain at about 9,950 feet after descending to roughly 9,400 feet during its approach.
All four people onboard were killed. The report listed the medical plane as destroyed. Authorities identified the victims as Generation Jets pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara and Trans Aero MedEvac flight nurses Sarah Clark and Jamie Novick. They were transporting a patient to Albuquerque.
The aircraft, according to the preliminary report, encountered GPS interference while military signal jamming operations were underway in the area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued notices to pilots warning of possible GPS disruptions associated with scheduled military activity.
Air traffic controllers, during the flight, asked the military to stop the jamming, the report said. After the crew told controllers they had the airport in sight and intended to land visually, controllers authorized the military to resume the operation.
The NTSB said the ill-fated medical plane had to approach the airport in mountainous terrain and darkness when it crashed. Its impact also sparked a wildfire in the Capitan Mountains that burned for weeks.
The agency’s preliminary report details the sequence of events but does not determine a cause. Investigators are continuing to examine the details surrounding the crash. The NTSB will address, if any, the role that GPS interference played in its final report.