What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 27, 2026, at 15:15 local time, an experimental Sling Tsi with a special airworthiness certificate experienced a hard landing on runway 13 at Kalispell City Airport (S27) in Montana. There were two occupants on board: the pilot and a passenger. Neither was injured. The pilot stated that the crosswind was stronger than normal, but he had achieved a perfect crab into the wind and had exited the crab before landing. The pilot added that during the landing the pilot had forced the aircraft down but should have let the plane float down the runway more. As a result, the nose wheel struck the runway at an angle, causing damage that led to the nose wheel collapsing. This caused the propeller to strike the runway, damaging all three propeller blades, bringing the propeller to a sudden stop.
When asked why the pilot did not initiate a go-around, the pilot reiterated that he should have let the plane float down the runway more, adding, it was not a bad landing until it was.
Current weather conditions for the area included low-level wind shear (llws), low turbulence airmetss, and surface winds of 10 to 30 knots. The closest METAR report from glacier park international (kgpi) at the time of the incident reported: 272055Z 22018G26KT 10SM FEW075 09/M06 A2997 rmk AO2 pk wnd 22028/2022. The pilot stated, "I did not need to check the weather before the flight; I was remaining in the area of the airport." The pilot also mentioned, "my personal limitation for wind is 10 knots of crosswind."
The inspector inquired if personal limitations ever fluctuate with recency—given that the pilot had not flown since last September—the pilot responded that the months of not flying were not a factor in his personal limitations. The pilot did not consider CFR 61.57 (1)(I) and (ii), which requires a minimum of three takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days to carry passengers as a pilot in command. The pilot was not current to carry passengers, confirmed by a statement from the pilot and the pilot’s logbook, which recorded the last flight on September 16, 2025. The pilot also stated, "I just do mental math weight and balance; I know I am never out of limitations for any flight."
The logbook entry for the flight on February 27, 2026, was "checkout aircraft after paint," marking the first flight in the aircraft since the previous occurrence that had caused damage to the nose wheel and propeller on September 16, 2026, (task number NM05202502411). The pilot repaired the damage and disassembled the aircraft over the winter and repainted it. The aircraft was not weighed prior to the flight; however, this is not a requirement for aircraft with a special airworthiness certificate.
Reviewing footage from a hangar security camera showed the aircraft maintaining a level pitch attitude until approximately 400 feet down the runway, when the pilot aggressively forced the nose down before contacting the runway before the aircraft moves out of frame. The aircraft came to rest on the runway with no damage to the airport facility
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 27, 2026, AT 15:15 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL SLING TSI WITH A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 13 AT KALISPELL CITY AIRPORT (S27) IN MONTANA. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD: THE PILOT AND A PASSENGER. NEITHER WAS INJURED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE CROSSWIND WAS STRONGER THAN NORMAL, BUT HE HAD ACHIEVED A PERFECT CRAB INTO THE WIND AND HAD EXITED THE CRAB BEFORE LANDING. THE PILOT ADDED THAT DURING THE LANDING THE PILOT HAD FORCED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN BUT SHOULD HAVE LET THE PLANE FLOAT DOWN THE RUNWAY MORE. AS A RESULT, THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK THE RUNWAY AT AN ANGLE, CAUSING DAMAGE THAT LED TO THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSING. THIS CAUSED THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY, DAMAGING ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES, BRINGING THE PROPELLER TO A SUDDEN STOP.
WHEN ASKED WHY THE PILOT DID NOT INITIATE A GO-AROUND, THE PILOT REITERATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE LET THE PLANE FLOAT DOWN THE RUNWAY MORE, ADDING, IT WAS NOT A BAD LANDING UNTIL IT WAS.
CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE AREA INCLUDED LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR (LLWS), LOW TURBULENCE AIRMETSS, AND SURFACE WINDS OF 10 TO 30 KNOTS. THE CLOSEST METAR REPORT FROM GLACIER PARK INTERNATIONAL (KGPI) AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT REPORTED: 272055Z 22018G26KT 10SM FEW075 09/M06 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 22028/2022. THE PILOT STATED, "I DID NOT NEED TO CHECK THE WEATHER BEFORE THE FLIGHT; I WAS REMAINING IN THE AREA OF THE AIRPORT." THE PILOT ALSO MENTIONED, "MY PERSONAL LIMITATION FOR WIND IS 10 KNOTS OF CROSSWIND."
THE INSPECTOR INQUIRED IF PERSONAL LIMITATIONS EVER FLUCTUATE WITH RECENCY—GIVEN THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER—THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT THE MONTHS OF NOT FLYING WERE NOT A FACTOR IN HIS PERSONAL LIMITATIONS. THE PILOT DID NOT CONSIDER CFR 61.57 (1)(I) AND (II), WHICH REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WITHIN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS TO CARRY PASSENGERS AS A PILOT IN COMMAND. THE PILOT WAS NOT CURRENT TO CARRY PASSENGERS, CONFIRMED BY A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT AND THE PILOT’S LOGBOOK, WHICH RECORDED THE LAST FLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2025. THE PILOT ALSO STATED, "I JUST DO MENTAL MATH WEIGHT AND BALANCE; I KNOW I AM NEVER OUT OF LIMITATIONS FOR ANY FLIGHT."
THE LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR THE FLIGHT ON FEBRUARY 27, 2026, WAS "CHECKOUT AIRCRAFT AFTER PAINT," MARKING THE FIRST FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE PREVIOUS OCCURRENCE THAT HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL AND PROPELLER ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2026, (TASK NUMBER NM05202502411). THE PILOT REPAIRED THE DAMAGE AND DISASSEMBLED THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE WINTER AND REPAINTED IT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT WEIGHED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT; HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR AIRCRAFT WITH A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE.
REVIEWING FOOTAGE FROM A HANGAR SECURITY CAMERA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINING A LEVEL PITCH ATTITUDE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, WHEN THE PILOT AGGRESSIVELY FORCED THE NOSE DOWN BEFORE CONTACTING THE RUNWAY BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT MOVES OUT OF FRAME. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPORT FACILITY