U.S. Military GPS Jamming Exercise Likely Causes Fatal Civilian Medevac Crash in New Mexico
A civilian medevac flight in New Mexico crashed in May, likely due to a U.S. military GPS jamming exercise. The Beechcraft King Air aircraft lost its GPS signal and subsequently crashed into a mountain, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals onboard, including two pilots and two nurses. The incident occurred as the U.S. Air Force was conducting NAVFEST, an annual electronic warfare exercise at the White Sands Missile Range, which tests the use and disruption of navigation systems. The Federal Aviation Administration had warned that GPS could be impacted up to 400 miles away from the exercise site. This crash is significant as it marks the first known instance in the United States where GPS jamming was a contributing factor to a civilian aircraft accident. 
