Engine would not respond during Sen. Sheehy's emergency landing in Montana

The NTSB has released the preliminary report on the Aero Vodochody L-39 emergency landing in which U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and another person were in on April 10, 2026 near Ennis, Montana. The flight was done in preparation for an upcoming chechride for Sheehy, who was receiving flight instruction. His chief of staff, Mike Berg, stated on Twitter/X that he completes a routine flight training exercise twice each year. They were performing an instrument approach at the Ennis Big Sky Airport (EKS) and were at an altitude of 8,500 ft above sea level when the aircraft was configured for landing. Sheehy told the NTSB that when the aircraft slowed to 190 knots, the thrust dropped to zero and the engine would not respond when the throttle was used. The flight instructor then took control and slowed it to a glide while Sheehy performed engine-relight procedures. When the engine did not restart, they decided to perform a forced gear-up landing in an open field rather than risk ejecting. Sheeny guided the flight instructor during the final approach. The L-39 crashed facing uphill and slid about 5 yards beyond its touchdown points. There was substantial damage to the lower fuselage and both wings, but both crew members survived. While initial reports stated neither pilot was injured, the NTSB listed that there was one minor injury between the two. The Madison County Sheriff's Office stated that a "minor" fuel leak was spotted and contained after the crash. RELATED STORIES: Sen. Sheehy unscathed after emergency landing in Montana field North Dakota Representative killed in Beechcraft crash in Minneapolis NTSB updates U.S. Civil Aviation Accident dashboard to include findings data 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. 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.