ENNIS — A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report about Sen. Tim Sheehy's April 10, 2026, emergency landing was released on Sunday, May 10.
According to the report, a 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 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 suffered only minor injuries. Sheehy walked away uninjured. 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 now investigating the crash. Investigator Eliott Simpson is leading the inquiry. 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.
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