High-Altitude Research Plane Makes Dramatic Belly Landing at Ellington Airport
N, TX — Drama unfolded in the skies above Southeast Texas today, January 27, 2026, as a rare NASA high-altitude research aircraft was forced to make an emergency belly landing at Ellington Airport (EFD).
At approximately 11:30 a.m. local time, the NASA WB-57 Canberra, one of only three such vintage aircraft still in operation globally, encountered a critical landing gear failure while returning to base. Witnesses and dramatic cell phone footage captured the moment the aircraft touched down on Runway 17R-35L without its wheels deployed, sending a shower of sparks and visible flames trailing beneath the fuselage as it skidded along the concrete.
NASA WB-57 Canberra made an emergency belly landing at Ellington AirportPhoto: KHOU 11
Crisis on the Runway
Emergency crews, including medical personnel and specialised fire teams from military subcontractors, were on the scene within seconds of the “hard landing”. Despite the intense visuals of the friction-ignited flames, the aircraft eventually came to a rest upright on the runway.
In a moment of immense relief for observers and NASA officials alike, the two pilots on board were safely extracted from the cockpit roughly an hour after the incident. Reports from the scene indicate that both crew members appeared to be uninjured, though they were immediately taken to a nearby ambulance for precautionary medical evaluations.
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Official Response and Airfield Status
The Houston Airport System was quick to provide clarity on the situation. In an official statement released shortly after the crash, the Director of Aviation confirmed the closure of the primary landing strip.
“Around 11:30 this morning, a NASA aircraft. had an issue upon landing on runway 17R-35L at Ellington Airport,” the Director of Aviation stated. “First responders with a military subcontractor are responding to the incident. The runway is closed, as you might imagine, until the aircraft can be removed. All further questions need to be directed to NASA”.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Runway 17R-35L remains closed to all traffic as investigators from the Johnson Space Centre and the FAA begin the delicate process of hoisting the heavy research plane to assess the damage and clear the debris.
A Rare Scientific Asset
The WB-57 is a legendary fixture of the Houston aerospace community. These aircraft, which have been in service since the 1970s, are prized for their ability to fly at altitudes exceeding 60,000 feet, carrying massive sensor suites for atmospheric research, satellite calibration, and cosmic dust collection.
NASA WB-57 Photo: AeroXplorer/ Peter Cuthbert
While the cause of the gear malfunction is currently unknown, NASA’s Johnson Space Centre has confirmed that a media team is being deployed to the site to provide a full briefing on the mission's objectives and the mechanical status of the aircraft prior to the incident.
For the aviation community, today’s event is a stark reminder of the risks involved in operating vintage, specialised equipment. However, the successful recovery of the crew highlights the exceptional training of NASA’s flight wing and the rapid response of Ellington’s eme
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Kalum Shashi Ishara I am an Aircraft Engineering graduate and an alumnus of Kingston University. It was a passion that I have had since childhood driven me to realise this goal of working in the Aviation and Aerospace industry. I have been working in the industry for more than 13 years now, and I can easily identify most commercial aircraft by spotting them from a distance. My work experience involved both technical and managerial elements of Aircraft component manufacturing, Quality assurance and continuous improvement management. Comments ( 4 )Dave Este "In a moment of immense relief for observers and NASA officials alike, the two pilots on board were safely extracted from the cockpit roughly an hour after the incident." I thought gettin crew out ASAP would be a priority.
Dr Manarii This type of "landing" happens frequently in general aviation when the gear fail to deploy on landing. The landing is typically non-eventful for the pilot and passengers, but the belly of the aircraft needs some repair work.
Fred Aylstock When I was in High School on January 3, 1964 a B57 crashed within feet of our school building in Beavercreek, OH. Miraculously, thank God, no one was injured, including the pilot who had bailed out!
Mal Jones I have witnessed this type of incident with a Canberra in the 1960s with a similar result with 3 crew members extracted within seconds. The fire crews arrived the moment it stopped and smothered it with foam before extracting the 3 crew members who walked away. I have also done it myself on grass with the only damge being a broken undercarriage door.. I learnt to fly initially on gliders which had no wheels and a wooden skid with a metal plate to land on hard ground.
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