The GPS system on a small medical plane that crashed into a mountainside in New Mexico on May 14 malfunctioned due to military jamming operations in the area, according to federal investigators. Four people died in the pre-dawn crash, which also sparked a wildfire in the rugged Capitan Mountains near Ruidoso. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report on Wednesday, confirming the GPS issues but noting that the final cause of the crash will be determined in a report next year.
Experts argue that pilots should have been able to land safely using ground-based navigation systems or visual flight, as GPS is not the sole means of navigation. Retired airline pilot John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, stated, "The loss of GPS should not result in the loss of an airplane, so there’s got to be more to it than that." The NTSB reported that air traffic controllers provided the pilots with headings to align for an instrument landing system approach after GPS issues arose. Three other planes in the area also reported GPS problems around the same time. At one point, the controller contacted the military to shut down the jammers, but shortly before the crash, the pilots indicated they had the airport in sight and planned to land visually, prompting the military to resume jamming.
The NTSB’s preliminary findings raise questions about the reliance on GPS and the coordination between military operations and civilian aviation. The report does not assign blame but highlights the need for further investigation into the crash’s underlying causes.