NASA Airplane Experiences Landing Issue at Ellington Airport

First responders on scene as runway remains closed for aircraft removal

Jan. 27, 2026 at 1:39pm

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A NASA aircraft experienced an unspecified "issue upon landing" at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas on Tuesday morning. First responders from a military subcontractor were on the scene as the runway was closed until the aircraft could be removed.

Why it matters

Ellington Airport is a key facility for NASA operations, including the Johnson Space Center, so any incident involving a NASA aircraft there is noteworthy. The closure of the runway also has potential impacts on other air traffic in and out of the Houston area.

The details

According to Jim Szczesniak, the director of aviation for Houston Airports, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Runway 17R-35L. First responders from a military subcontractor were on the scene, and the runway remained closed until the NASA aircraft could be removed.

  • The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

The players

Jim Szczesniak

The director of aviation for Houston Airports.

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What’s next

The runway will remain closed until the NASA aircraft can be safely removed from the area.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of Ellington Airport to NASA's operations in the Houston area and the potential disruptions that can occur when issues arise with NASA aircraft using the facility.