A NASA research aircraft made a gear-up landing at Ellington Field in Houston late Tuesday morning after experiencing a mechanical issue, according to the agency. Video from local media outlets showed the aircraft touching down without its landing gear deployed and sliding along the runway before coming to a stop, with emergency responders quickly surrounding the aircraft.
Houston Airports officials said the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Runway 17R–35L as the aircraft was landing. In a statement provided to local KHOU 11 News, officials said first responders with a military subcontractor handled the response and the runway was closed while crews worked to remove the aircraft.
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said in a statement shared by ABC13/KTRK that a mechanical issue resulted in the gear-up landing and confirmed that all crew members were safe.
“Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time,” Stevens said. “As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause.”
The aircraft involved was a NASA WB-57 high-altitude research plane based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center near Ellington Field. The WB-57 program operates three aircraft from the location, using them for scientific and atmospheric research missions at altitudes above 63,000 feet. NASA said it will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident and provide updates as additional information becomes available.
