20260817010189I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hansen Ernest F HARMON ROCKET II · Billings, MT · August 17, 2026

Date: August 17, 2026 · 16:08 local
Place: Billings, MT
Airport: Billings Logan International
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N969H
Reported as: Hansen Ernest F Harmon Rocket II
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 16,100 total370 in this make and model183 in the last 90 days

N969HRegistered now · Hansen Ernest F HARMON ROCKET IIS/N 187 Airframe modelHansen Ernest F HARMON ROCKET II

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

privacy data omitted, The PIC of privacy data omitted, left the ksdf airport on 8/17/2026. He woke in the morning to get an early start but weather delayed his departure so he went back to sleep. He claims to have slept 7-8 hours prior to departing that morning. He left ksdf and stopped in kggi, then stopped again kphp, and then made it to kbil after around 6.8 hours of flying. During his landing clearance for runway 28R, bil tower said winds were around 190 degrees at 10 knots (about a 90 degree crosswind). He claims to have had a normal approach and landing. After the tailwheel settled on the ground, he said the aircraft wanted to weathervane. This happened as he was losing rudder effectiveness, and he couldn’t keep the aircraft straight. This resulted in a ground loop which the right wheel pant and right wing. Mr. Beck was counseled and had a compliant attitude. His pilot documents, logbook, and aircraft documents were checked with no issues found.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE PIC OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LEFT THE KSDF AIRPORT ON 8/17/2026. HE WOKE IN THE MORNING TO GET AN EARLY START BUT WEATHER DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE SO HE WENT BACK TO SLEEP. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE SLEPT 7-8 HOURS PRIOR TO DEPARTING THAT MORNING. HE LEFT KSDF AND STOPPED IN KGGI, THEN STOPPED AGAIN KPHP, AND THEN MADE IT TO KBIL AFTER AROUND 6.8 HOURS OF FLYING. DURING HIS LANDING CLEARANCE FOR RUNWAY 28R, BIL TOWER SAID WINDS WERE AROUND 190 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS (ABOUT A 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND). HE CLAIMS TO HAVE HAD A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING. AFTER THE TAILWHEEL SETTLED ON THE GROUND, HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT WANTED TO WEATHERVANE. THIS HAPPENED AS HE WAS LOSING RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS, AND HE COULDN’T KEEP THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHT. THIS RESULTED IN A GROUND LOOP WHICH THE RIGHT WHEEL PANT AND RIGHT WING. MR. BECK WAS COUNSELED AND HAD A COMPLIANT ATTITUDE. HIS PILOT DOCUMENTS, LOGBOOK, AND AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTS WERE CHECKED WITH NO ISSUES FOUND.