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A dramatic scene unfolded at a Texas airport when a NASA research plane was forced to make an emergency landing without its landing gear, igniting flames as it skidded across the runway. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Ellington Airfield in Houston, where the NASA WB-57 aircraft experienced a mechanical failure around 11:30 a.m.
According to NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens, the aircraft had to execute a belly landing, a maneuver that left the plane sliding along the runway with flames billowing from its underside. Despite the alarming situation, all crew members on board were reported safe.
“Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time,” Stevens assured in a statement. She added that NASA will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the malfunction and promised to provide transparent updates as new information becomes available.
Emergency response teams from the Houston Fire Department were quick to arrive at the scene. They confirmed to local news outlet KTVU that two individuals were aboard the aircraft during the harrowing experience.
Houston Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and told local news outlet KTVU there had been two people on board during the terrifying ordeal.
It appeared the plane’s landing gear had failed, the department told the outlet.
The runway was ordered closed until the plane could be removed, said Director of Aviation for Houston Airports Jim Szczesniak, who noted that “first responders with a military subcontractor” also responded to the scene.
The aircraft — which is designed to travel extended periods of time from sea level to altitudes higher than 63,000 feet — “have been flying research missions since the early 1970s,” according to NASA.
Three of the specialized planes are operated out of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, home to the agency’s WB-57 High Altitude Research Program.