One of NASA’s three WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft is sitting on its belly in Houston today after a gear-up landing on Tuesday morning. The aircraft, a modified Martin B-57 Canberra, came to a halt on the runway at Ellington Airport (KEFD) around 11:30 a.m.
Video captured by KHOU in Houston shows the long-winged jet sliding along the concrete before coming to a stop. The pilot was seen climbing out of the cockpit unassisted, and NASA has confirmed that both crew members are safe.
The agency is citing a mechanical issue for the mishap. First responders were on the scene immediately, and the runway was closed to clear the crippled aircraft.
The Johnson Space Center has three of these aircraft, and they have been flying research missions since the early 1970s. In the WB-57 the pilot and sensor equipment operator (SEO) sit in tandem. The airplane has a range of approximately 2,500 miles and an endurance of more than six hours. It’s not yet clear how much damage the airframe sustained or how long it will be out of service.