One Of NASA’s Last High-Altitude WB-57’s Landed Without Landing Gear

One of NASA's three WB-57 aircraft made an emergency landing at Ellington Field on Tuesday morning in southeastern Houston.

Video that was captured by a local television station showed the aircraft coming down onto the runway with no landing gear extended. The pilot was able to maintain control as the plane slid down the runway, slowing down because of all the friction.

Nobody was harmed in the incident, and in the pilot world, it's considered a good landing - "Any landing you walk away from is a good landing."

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens spoke with the local news outlet, KHOU11.

“Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field,” she said. “Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time. As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause. NASA will transparently update the public as we gather more information.”

According to Arstechnica, the B-57 line of aircraft has a history that extends back to 1944, created by English Electric Company. After the Royal Air Force crossed the Atlantic, breaking records with just a four-hour and forty-minute trip, it was the first jet-powered aircraft to cross the Atlantic without refueling. After that, the US Air Force started buying them to replace the old B-26 Invader.

NASA only has three of the planes, and it looks like they're going to be down to two for awhile while the investigation and repairs are completed. They added the "W" to their planes to distinguish them from the bombers, as the W is for "Weather Reconnaissance."