A NASA WB-57 research aircraft made an emergency landing at Ellington Airport in Houston on Tuesday after its landing gear failed.
“Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said. Video footage shows the plane touching down on the runway with its landing gear retracted.
NEWS 🚨: A NASA research aircraft made a belly landing in Houston today before catching fire after its landing gear seemingly failed to deploy
Crew walked away safe 🙏pic.twitter.com/foRvL2M2hI
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) January 28, 2026
The pilot safely exited the cockpit and NASA confirmed that all crew members are unharmed. The runway was temporarily closed as crews worked to remove the aircraft.
The extent of damage to the WB-57 was not immediately clear. NASA said it will investigate thoroughly and provide updates as information becomes available.
The B-57 aircraft, developed by England’s English Electric Company in 1944, first gained fame when the Royal Air Force crossed the Atlantic in 1951, becoming the first jet to do so without refueling.
The U.S. Air Force then acquired the planes to replace the Douglas B-26 Invader. A variant, the WB-57, featured longer wings for high-altitude flights. Since 1972, NASA has used WB-57s for scientific missions, including studying hurricanes, clouds, cosmic dust, rocket plumes, and observing SpaceX and Artemis II launches.
