US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
'Mechanical Issue' Causes NASA Research Jet to Perform Gear-up Landing
NASA's WB-57 jet made a gear-up landing due to a mechanical issue, with both crew members safe and the runway closed for removal and investigation.
- On January 27, 2026, a NASA WB-57 high-altitude research jet performed a gear-up landing at Ellington Field on Runway 17R-35L after a `mechanical issue` around 11:30 a.m.
- Officials say the cause is unclear, and NASA said `a thorough investigation will be conducted.` Two of the three B-57/WB-57 fleet aircraft are under inspection, one due to finish on February 16.
- Video shows the jet touching down on its belly and sliding with sparks, fire and smoke, as captured by KHOU 11 News and SkyFOX and Air 11 aerial footage.
- All crew members were reported safe and NASA posted `Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time.` First responders with a military subcontractor handled the scene, and the runway was closed until the aircraft could be removed.
- The WB-57 fleet operates three jets out of Ellington Field, flying over 63,000 feet with a range of about 2,500 miles and carrying up to 8,800 pounds of payload for research.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions
149 Articles
149 Articles
The aircraft was forced to make a descent with the landing gear retracted due to a mechanical failure detected during the flight
A NASA search aircraft hit the runway without its landing gear, causing a spectacular flood of flames behind it.
·Montreal, Canada
Read Full Article
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...
·Miami, United States
Read Full ArticleCoverage Details
Total News Sources149
Leaning Left20Leaning Right14Center88Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Center
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources are Center
72% Center
L 16%
C 72%
12%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
