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'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.
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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...
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Total News Sources150
Leaning Left20Leaning Right14Center88Last UpdatedBias Distribution72% Center
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources are Center
72% Center
L 16%
C 72%
12%
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