ENNIS, Mont. — A military-style jet trainer piloted by U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy was substantially damaged after an apparent engine failure forced a crash landing in a field near Ennis, federal investigators said in a preliminary NTSB report.
The NTSB’s report shows the Aero Vodochody L-39 was on an instructional flight April 10 when the engine lost thrust during a practice instrument approach to Ennis-Big Sky Airport.
The pilot and a flight instructor were descending through about 8,500 feet when the aircraft slowed and the engine “rolled back to zero thrust,” the report said. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful.
With limited altitude, the instructor took control and executed a forced gear-up landing in an open field rather than ejecting. The aircraft touched down uphill…
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Source nbcmontana.com
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