By JESSE BEDAYN A NASA research plane malfunctioned and had to touch down in Texas without landing gear on Tuesday, sliding across the runway on its belly and sending plumes of flame behind it, a video posted to social media showed. The crew landed the plane at Ellington Airport, southeast of Houst on, and are “all safe at this time,” NASA said in a post on X. The federal space agency added that there was “mechanical issue” that will be investigated. The aircraft with its distinct thin fuselage is the NASA WB-57. The plane with two crew seats is capable of flying for about 6 1/2 hours at high altitudes — beyond 63,000 feet. Video shows the plane slowly descending toward the runway, then touching down with a jolt, its wings bouncing as yellow fire and white smoke bursts from beneath it. It steadily slides down the track, the flames bursting and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The aircraft begins to slow before the video ends. A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Show Caption1 of 4A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Expand Local news footage from KHOU 11 shows the plane at a stop, the cockpit hatch open, fire trucks flashing nearby and emergency responders working around the black nose of the aircraft. The NASA WB-57 has flown research missions since the 1970s and continues to be an asset for the scientific community, according to the agency’s website. ...read more read less