NASA research plane lands on belly, sending sparks flying, after 'mechanical issue'

A NASA craft had to marque a "gear-up landing" successful Houston connected Tuesday owed to a mechanical problem, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens noted successful a station connected X.

"Today, a mechanical contented with 1 of NASA’s WB-57s resulted successful a gear-up landing astatine Ellington Field. Response to the incidental is ongoing, and each unit are harmless astatine this time," she said successful the Tuesday day post. 

"As with immoderate incident, a thorough probe volition beryllium conducted by NASA into the cause. NASA volition transparently update the nationalist arsenic we stitchery much information," she added.

She issued a station connected Wednesday noting that the unit members are doing well.

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A NASA craft is shown making a "gear-up landing" astatine an airdrome successful Houston pursuing a mechanical contented connected Tuesday, according to a NASA spokesperson. (Nevada Vazquez/@ IronHorseAviator via Storyful)

"Following modular aesculapian evaluations astatine Ellington Field, some unit members aboard the WB-57 were cleared and are successful bully health. Both individuals are NASA employees. NASA operates 3 WB-57 aircraft; the 1 progressive successful today’s incidental carries process fig NASA927. The craft departed Ellington Field for a regular grooming formation astatine astir 10:19 a.m. CST and landed astatine astir 11:19 a.m.," Stevens noted successful the station connected Wednesday.

"NASA volition pb a thorough investigation. Additional details volition beryllium provided erstwhile the probe is complete. NASA anticipates nary interaction to Artemis II operations fixed the aggregate aerial assets disposable to support, including the Gulfstream V, Gulfstream III, and a U.S. Navy C-20. These craft volition supply imagery during cardinal ngo phases, including launch, entry, and splashdown," her station noted.

Video footage of the occurrence captured fume and what appeared to beryllium agleam occurrence and/or sparks flying arsenic the level slid crossed the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration noted, "A Martin WB-57 landed with its cogwheel up astatine Ellington Airport successful Houston astir 11:25 a.m. section clip connected Tuesday, Jan. 27. Two radical were connected board. The FAA volition investigate."

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A aviator goes done a pre-flight information inspection connected a NASA WB-57 level that volition beryllium flown during the April 8, 2024, full star eclipse and has been modified to beryllium capable to behaviour experiments that volition survey the star corona, connected Wednesday, March 27, 2024, successful Houston.  (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

The WB-57 has been performing probe missions for decades, according to the NASA Airborne Science Program website.

"The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) successful Houston, Texas is the location of the NASA WB-57 High Altitude Research Program," the tract notes. "The WB-57 is simply a mid-wing, long-range craft susceptible of cognition for extended periods of clip from oversea level to altitudes successful excess of 63,000 feet."

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A NASA WB-57 level that has been modified to behaviour experiments that volition survey the star corona during the April 8, 2024, full star eclipse, prepares for a signifier formation astatine Ellington Airport connected Wednesday, March 27, 2024, successful Houston. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

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"The craft person been flying probe missions since the aboriginal 1970's, and proceed to beryllium an plus to the technological assemblage with professional, reliable, customer-oriented work designed to conscionable each technological objectives," the website states.