BOZEMAN — A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report about US Senator Tim Sheehy's emergency landing of an airplane on April 10, 2026, was released on Sunday, May 10.
According to the report, the routine training flight ended in an emergency landing in a field after a military trainer jet lost all engine power near Ennis.
The aircraft, a Czech-built Aero Vodochody L-39, took off from a Bozeman airport on a clear April afternoon with a flight instructor and a student pilot (Sheehy) on board.
The crew was practicing an instrument approach to the Ennis-Big Sky Airport when the emergency unfolded.
The jet was flying at 8,500 feet when Sheehy began slowing the aircraft to prepare for landing. As the jet slowed to 190 knots, the engine suddenly lost all thrust. The flight instructor attempted to push the throttle forward, but the engine did not respond.
The instructor immediately took control of the aircraft and slowed the jet to its best glide speed. Sheehy attempted to restart the engine in the air, but those efforts failed.
The report states that, with limited altitude available, the crew decided whether to eject from the aircraft or attempt a forced gear-up landing. They chose to stay with the jet and land in an open field.
Sheehy helped guide the instructor during the final approach. The jet touched down on an uphill slope and slid approximately 500 yards before coming to a stop.
The flight instructor sustained only minor injuries; Sheehy was not injured.
No one on the ground was hurt, and there was no property damage. The bottom of the jet and both wings sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is also assisting with the investigation.
Investigators are working to determine exactly why the engine failed. They are also examining the crew's emergency procedures, including whether the decision to land rather than eject was the correct call. The NTSB will release a final report at a later date with definitive answers about the cause of the engine failure.
(1st REPORT, APRIL 10) An airplane with U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana aboard made an emergency landing in Madison County on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Sheehy's chief of staff Mike Berg confirmed to MTN News that the plane made an emergency landing due to a "mechanical engine failure."
The plane reportedly landed in a field near the town of Ennis, and neither of the people on board were injured.
Berg said it was a routine flight training exercise which Sheehy completes twice each year.
At this point, there is no word on the details of the mechanical failure, nor the type of plane involved.
Sheehy is an FAA-certified commercial pilot and certified flight instructor.
We will update you as we get more information.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
