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US Sen. Tim Sheehy and another person walked away from a Montana field unharmed on Friday after making an emergency landing near the town of Ennis.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office stated that a "minor" fuel leak was spotted and contained. The chief of staff for the Montana Republican posted on social media that the Senator had been flying a routine training exercise that he completes twice a year and that the plane suffered an engine failure. The statement referred to the other occupant as Sheehy's copilot.
Local station KPAX-TV reported on Monday, citing the FAA, that the plane was an Aero Vodochody L-39 owned by a holding company of NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and that the plane landed with its gear up.
Aircraft owned by NASA AdministratorIsaacman's use of a personal F-5 jet with a NASA livery made headlines at the start of the year. The New York Post reported in January it was used to allow "exceptional" employees to fly and posted an image of members of President Trump's family standing in front of it.
"All costs associated with these flights are covered by the administrator, with zero burden to the taxpayer," a NASA spokesperson posted on social media on Jan. 6. "On his first day, (Isaacman) publicly committed to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, including covering these costs personally, donating his salary to Space Camp, and ensuring NASA delivers on its world-changing mission efficiently and with urgency."
The social media post said the F-5 is used for "NASA workforce incentive flights, flyovers, participation in America's 250th birthday celebrations, and to inspire the next generation to take an interest in STEM fields and contribute to the greatest adventure in human history."Senator was involved in 2019 training-flight crash
Sheehy was involved in a 2019 plane crash in Florida. A flight instructor was killed, and a person inside a home was badly hurt. A lawsuit was settled in 2024 as Sheehy ran for Senate; he denied any wrongdoing and he was not ruled at fault in a federal investigation.
An NTSB account of the crash of the 1986 STOL UC-1 Twin Bee states that the flight instructor briefed the pilot that he would simulate an engine failure at some point after takeoff and reduced power on the left engine between 200 and 300 feet and that it lost all power.
The instructor took control of the plane but could not restart the engine, according to the NTSB final report. As the plane descended, the pilot told investigators they could not get the single engine to climb and that he was in the process of retracting the landing gear and did not have time to retract the flaps.
The plane did not make it to an initially declared emergency-landing site nor a nearby lake identified as a second option.
The engine was 113.9 hours overdue for an overhaul, according to the report citing Lycoming protocol, but it showed no adverse issues during NTSB testing. The board ruled the probable cause to be a total loss of left-engine power for reasons that could not be determined, and the instructor's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, with the instructor's decision to conduct a simulated engine failure at low altitude, was listed as a contributing factor.Sheehy's military andamp; aviation history
Before holding a pilot's certificate, Sheehy carried a SEAL Trident. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2008 and served on tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, South America and the Pacific as a SEAL officer and team leader. He also completed US Army Ranger School and served alongside the 5th Special Forces Group, 75th Ranger Regiment and other units within US Army Special Operations Command. Sheehy left active duty in 2014 with a Bronze Star with valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with valor and a Purple Heart and was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2019.
Following his time in the military, he used his savings to found Bridger Aerospace. Over the following decade, he logged flight hours as an air attack and water bomber pilot, coordinating tanker drops over wildfires and managing airspace. He holds a Commercial certificate and CFI rating from the FAA and has grown his business to more than 500 employees worldwide.
Sheehy won Montana's Senate seat in 2024 and now sits on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which holds jurisdiction over FAA reauthorization, airspace policy and aviation safety.