Plane Loses Nose Gear After Takeoff | Emergency Landing at Bozeman

On September 29, 2025, Diamond DA20-C1 N389LB, operating as Yellowstone 29, lost its nose wheel during departure from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana. Air traffic control and another aircraft confirmed that the airplane was flying without a nose gear. Rather than immediately landing with the aircraft's configuration unresolved, the crew remained airborne while controllers, ground crews and maintenance personnel assessed the situation. Multiple low approaches and traffic patterns were used to inspect the aircraft before the crew committed to an emergency landing. The documented record reports a safe outcome.

Loss of the nose wheel

The available account does not establish why the nose wheel separated. It is therefore not possible to state that fatigue, a fastener failure, maintenance error or another particular mechanical defect caused the event. The article limits the technical description to the failure that was actually observed.

Assessing the aircraft from the air

Controllers instructed Yellowstone 29 to conduct multiple low approaches and traffic patterns over Runways 11 and 12. This allowed controllers and ground personnel to observe the aircraft's landing-gear configuration from the runway environment before the emergency landing was attempted. contemporary reporting says emergency vehicles were deployed and the runways were intermittently closed because the missing wheel could present a hazard if it had fallen onto the runway.

The crew also had time to manage the problem rather than immediately committing to a landing. The documented record says about two hours of fuel remained while maintenance coordinated with Diamond Aircraft for guidance. That gave the crew and support personnel time to build a clearer picture of the aircraft's condition before the final approach.

Preparing for the landing

With the aircraft assessed from several approaches and emergency services positioned, Yellowstone 29 prepared to land on Runway 12. The documented record describes fire and rescue teams standing by for the arrival. The final approach therefore followed a period of deliberate assessment rather than an immediate touchdown after the gear problem was discovered.

What the source establishes

The event is well documented as a nose-wheel loss followed by a controlled emergency response. It is not, however, supported by a final public investigation report in the available material. The evidence does not support a claimed mechanical cause or maintenance finding.

“the plane was flying without a nose gear”

Accident Facts

Exact event times are not provided by contemporary reporting, so the timeline uses verified sequence rather than invented clock times.

Sources

• Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport / local reporting: Disabled-aircraft incident and runway response
• FAA: Accident and incident information