NASA Research Plane Does a Belly Flop at Houston Airport

A specialized NASA research jet made an emergency belly landing at Ellington Airport in Houston on Tuesday after an apparent malfunction, with all crew members reportedly safe. The aircraft, a WB-57 high-altitude research plane run by NASA's Johnson Space Center, came down without its landing gear deployed, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens wrote on X. She cited a "mechanical issue" with the aircraft and said an investigation is underway. Stevens added that NASA will release more details as they become available.

Jim Szczesniak, aviation director for the Texas city's airports, said the incident occurred around 11:30am local time on Runway 17R-35L at Ellington, and that the runway has been closed until the aircraft can be removed. The AP notes that video of the incident posted to social media shows the plane's "wings bouncing as yellow fire and white smoke bursts from beneath it."

The WB-57 is a long-range platform capable of flying from low altitudes up to more than 60,000 feet while carrying scientific instruments, per Click2Houston. It operates with a pilot and a sensor systems operator seated next to each other. NASA hasn't yet disclosed the exact nature of the mechanical problem or whether there were any minor injuries.