Overview
- Minutes after departing Roswell on May 14, the Beech King Air crew reported losing GPS while a planned U.S. military GPS‑denial exercise was active and the aircraft later struck the Capitan Mountains, killing two pilots and two flight nurses.
- The FAA had issued a notice to airmen about the scheduled jamming around White Sands Missile Range, and air route traffic control twice asked the military to suspend the exercise to help affected aircraft.
- The NTSB’s preliminary timeline documents simultaneous GPS outages and controller requests to pause jamming but stops short of finding a causal link; investigators say a full report will follow.
- Lawmakers and aviation groups have pressed the Pentagon and Transportation Department for answers, with Rep. Gabe Vasquez formally requesting explanations and urging new rules to reduce the risk to civilian flights.
- Experts and regulators warn that jamming and spoofing incidents are rising, that many certified cockpit GPS receivers lag newer commercial designs, and that the accident is prompting calls for faster avionics upgrades and tighter FAA‑military coordination.