A WB-57 plane used by NASA for high-altitude research landed with its landing gear up in Houston Tuesday, catching fire as a result. No one was injured.
The plane landed at Ellington Airport in Houston around 11:25 a.m. local time with two people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field. Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time. … a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens wrote on X.
A video of the incident acquired by KHOU-TV shows fire streaking under and behind the plane as it lands. Airport officials told the TV station that the runway was closed for a time after the landing so that first responders and military contractors could come help remove the plane.
NASA uses the planes for missions focused on “atmospheric and earth science, ground mapping, cosmic dust collection, rocket launch support, and test bed operations for future airborne or spaceborne systems.”
NASA owns the only three WB-57 planes still in use, the NASA 926, NASA 927, and NASA 928; Ms. Stevens did not specify which of the three planes was damaged in Tuesday’s landing.
The WB-57 model of aircraft was first adopted by the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s and was first used by NASA starting in the 1970s.
