NASA Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Texas Without Landing Gear
A critical malfunction on board forced a NASA research plane to touch down at Ellington Airport outside of Houston without its landing gear, sending flames and smoke billowing from beneath the aircraft as it skidded across the runway. The dramatic incident was captured on video by social media users, showing the plane's distinctive fuselage sliding slowly down the track with a series of explosive bursts of fire and smoke.
Fortunately, all crew members on board are reported to be safe, although NASA has confirmed that there was a "mechanical issue" at play. The agency added that an investigation into the cause of the malfunction would be conducted in due course.
The NASA WB-57, a plane capable of flying for over 6 hours at high altitudes, is a prized asset for the scientific community, having been used on numerous research missions since the 1970s. However, its failure to land safely has highlighted the risks associated with aircraft maintenance and the importance of ensuring that all systems are functioning properly.
Local news footage shows the plane coming to a stop at Ellington Airport, with emergency responders rushing to the scene to deal with the aftermath. Fire trucks can be seen flashing their lights nearby as crews work to extinguish any remaining flames and assess the extent of damage.
NASA has confirmed that the WB-57 is currently undergoing investigation into the cause of its malfunction, which could have potentially serious implications for the safety of crew members on future missions.
A critical malfunction on board forced a NASA research plane to touch down at Ellington Airport outside of Houston without its landing gear, sending flames and smoke billowing from beneath the aircraft as it skidded across the runway. The dramatic incident was captured on video by social media users, showing the plane's distinctive fuselage sliding slowly down the track with a series of explosive bursts of fire and smoke.
Fortunately, all crew members on board are reported to be safe, although NASA has confirmed that there was a "mechanical issue" at play. The agency added that an investigation into the cause of the malfunction would be conducted in due course.
The NASA WB-57, a plane capable of flying for over 6 hours at high altitudes, is a prized asset for the scientific community, having been used on numerous research missions since the 1970s. However, its failure to land safely has highlighted the risks associated with aircraft maintenance and the importance of ensuring that all systems are functioning properly.
Local news footage shows the plane coming to a stop at Ellington Airport, with emergency responders rushing to the scene to deal with the aftermath. Fire trucks can be seen flashing their lights nearby as crews work to extinguish any remaining flames and assess the extent of damage.
NASA has confirmed that the WB-57 is currently undergoing investigation into the cause of its malfunction, which could have potentially serious implications for the safety of crew members on future missions.
NASA's got some 'splainin' to do 
... 6 hours at high altitudes with a plane that can't even land safely? 
what kind of maintenance are they talkin' about here?! 
those flames and smoke were not just for show, they could've been fatal. glad no one was hurt, but this incident's got some serious red flags...
... this is crazy! I mean, can you even imagine being on a plane like that and having it just give up on you? Like, literally touch down without landing gear? It's insane. And those flames and smoke, ugh... it's like something out of a movie.
i'm just glad no one was seriously hurt 
but at the same time you gotta wonder if there were any warning signs that something was off before it happened 
and now with all these high-tech planes flying around, you'd think there'd be more safety protocols in place 
anyway, it's good that NASA is being super transparent about what went down and they're investigating the cause of the malfunction 
let's just hope they can get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this doesn't happen again 
I know NASA is a great org and all but accidents like this can happen to anyone and it's not just about the plane, it's about the people who are on board... like my cousins' friends actually work with NASA sometimes 
! Luckily everyone on board is safe but I mean what if they weren't? 
The WB-57 is such an important plane for research and all, but maintenance fails are super scary 
. This could be a big deal for future missions 
guess we'll just have to wait for the investigation results to see what really went down. 
the thought of those flames and smoke billowing out from underneath the plane is just too much 
what do u guys think? should nasa be more careful with their planes??
... it's just one of those things that makes u appreciate how hard the ppl who work with airplanes do, keeping us safe in space lol. i hope they find out what went wrong and fix it ASAP so this never happens again