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NASA WB-57 research aircraft makes emergency belly landing at Ellington Airport, Texas, after gear failure | Video
Video footage showed flames and sparks as the jet slid along the runway at Ellington Airport, Texas.
A NASA WB-57 research aircraft was forced to make an emergency belly landing at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas, after its landing gear failed to deploy. The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Runway 17R–35L, according to Houston Airports.
Video footage showed flames and sparks as the jet slid along the runway. Emergency crews responded immediately, and the pilot safely exited the aircraft without incident, KHOU reported.
NASA confirms incident
NASA later confirmed that a mechanical malfunction led to the gear-up landing involving one of its WB-57 aircraft.
All crew members are safe, and no injuries were reported. Officials said a full investigation is underway to determine the cause of the malfunction.
Bethany Stevens, NASA's press secretary, wrote on X, "Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field. Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time. As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause. NASA will transparently update the public as we gather more information."
About WB-57 aircraft
The aircraft involved is a WB-57 high-altitude research plane, based at NASA Johnson Space Center near Ellington Field. NASA operates three WB-57 aircraft out of Ellington Field for scientific and atmospheric research missions.
The WB-57 is a long-range, mid-wing research aircraft designed to operate at extreme altitudes, capable of flying above 63,000 feet. It is typically crewed by a pilot and a sensor equipment operator and can remain in the air for roughly 6.5 hours.
The aircraft has a range of up to 2,500 nautical miles, can carry payloads weighing as much as 8,800 pounds, and can reach speeds of around 410 knots, making it well-suited for high-altitude scientific and atmospheric research missions.
