To read the data from a file, use readmatrix (or readtable) instead of load.
The 'n/a' characters will be read as NaN. Then replace the NaN values with 0.
y = readmatrix('test_data.txt');
disp(y)
Columns 1 through 19
28.0445 -17.2717 83.9720 -0.3225 0.4179 -0.8494 0.1025 -0.8766 -0.4702 -0.9410 -0.2387 0.2398 3.1647 1.9182 4.5658 NaN 2.5589 0.5604 9.7606
27.8199 -16.9860 83.3748 -0.3199 0.3993 -0.8592 0.1350 -0.8783 -0.4586 -0.9378 -0.2627 0.2271 3.7023 2.2641 5.4424 0.0309 3.4615 0.6360 12.2287
27.5723 -16.6835 82.7018 -0.3162 0.3777 -0.8703 0.1688 -0.8803 -0.4434 -0.9336 -0.2871 0.2146 3.7534 2.5486 5.6091 0.0325 3.5880 0.6397 12.1458
27.2756 -16.3390 81.8710 -0.3100 0.3493 -0.8842 0.2179 -0.8792 -0.4237 -0.9254 -0.3240 0.1964 3.4905 2.8198 4.6453 0.0356 3.4305 0.7385 11.0657
26.9530 -15.9879 80.9281 -0.3000 0.3148 -0.9005 0.2857 -0.8710 -0.3996 -0.9102 -0.3771 0.1713 3.3481 3.0842 3.6854 0.0391 3.3020 0.8960 10.5495
26.6278 -15.6599 79.9185 -0.2848 0.2757 -0.9181 0.3768 -0.8485 -0.3717 -0.8814 -0.4518 0.1378 3.3049 3.0150 3.5599 0.0429 3.2895 0.9240 10.4580
26.3208 -15.3744 78.8818 -0.2630 0.2347 -0.9358 0.4968 -0.7985 -0.3399 -0.8271 -0.5543 0.0934 3.3111 2.9568 3.6604 0.0461 3.2692 0.8931 10.4078
26.0484 -15.1390 77.8484 -0.2334 0.1960 -0.9524 0.6452 -0.7016 -0.3025 -0.7275 -0.6851 0.0373 3.3326 2.8585 3.7989 0.0484 3.2989 0.8684 10.5351
25.8214 -14.9500 76.8370 -0.1959 0.1640 -0.9668 0.8037 -0.5380 -0.2542 -0.5619 -0.8268 -0.0264 3.3836 2.8781 3.7909 0.0496 3.3537 0.8847 10.6689
25.6449 -14.7961 75.8546 -0.1524 0.1425 -0.9780 0.9287 -0.3179 -0.1911 -0.3381 -0.9374 -0.0839 3.3565 2.9591 3.6423 0.0498 3.3154 0.9103 10.5811
25.5186 -14.6631 74.8983 -0.1067 0.1323 -0.9855 0.9866 -0.1090 -0.1214 -0.1235 -0.9852 -0.1189 3.4010 3.1099 3.5661 0.0483 3.3614 0.9426 10.6764
25.4379 -14.5388 73.9580 -0.0639 0.1297 -0.9895 0.9979 -0.0015 -0.0646 -0.0099 -0.9915 -0.1294 3.4240 3.2709 3.7352 0.0424 3.3886 0.9072 10.8032
25.3948 -14.4165 73.0209 -0.0289 0.1283 -0.9913 0.9948 -0.0935 -0.0411 -0.0979 -0.9873 -0.1249 3.5157 3.2379 3.9587 0.0319 3.4745 0.8777 11.2161
25.3798 -14.2969 72.0744 -0.0046 0.1211 -0.9926 0.8424 -0.5344 -0.0690 -0.5388 -0.8365 -0.0995 3.6345 3.2076 4.1639 0.0228 3.5544 0.8536 11.6176
25.3826 -14.1869 71.1100 0.0085 0.1037 -0.9946 0.3102 -0.9458 -0.0960 -0.9506 -0.3077 -0.0402 3.5687 2.9947 3.9218 0.0249 3.5020 0.8929 11.2550
25.3932 -14.0973 70.1247 0.0113 0.0759 -0.9971 -0.0603 -0.9953 -0.0764 -0.9981 0.0610 -0.0067 3.4767 2.7000 4.0740 0.0329 3.3966 0.8337 10.9775
25.4023 -14.0384 69.1215 0.0055 0.0405 -0.9992 -0.2491 -0.9676 -0.0406 -0.9685 0.2491 0.0048 5.2573 2.6349 11.2915 0.0389 3.8595 0.3418 20.9664
25.4015 -14.0163 68.1081 -0.0083 0.0035 -1.0000 -0.4430 -0.8965 0.0005 -0.8965 0.4430 0.0090 5.1355 2.9369 9.9821 0.0393 4.2907 0.4298 19.3923
25.3805 -14.0329 67.0190 -0.0318 -0.0335 -0.9989 -0.6180 -0.7848 0.0460 -0.7856 0.6188 0.0043 5.3555 2.9336 9.3084 NaN 4.7505 0.5103 18.6899
Columns 20 through 21
6.2440 0.2953
10.5823 0.5999
10.8946 0.6634
9.4903 0.5107
8.7088 0.3795
8.6004 0.1906
8.5063 0.1727
8.6884 0.2968
8.9451 0.2426
8.7702 0.1438
8.9719 0.2105
9.1518 0.3675
9.7426 0.4313
10.3233 0.4703
9.8536 0.4637
9.3216 0.4914
20.2297 0.8860
20.8015 0.8718
22.1968 0.8188
%Check how many NaN elements there are in the array
nnz(isnan(y))
ans = 2
%Replace NaN with 0
y(isnan(y)) = 0;
disp(y)
Columns 1 through 19
28.0445 -17.2717 83.9720 -0.3225 0.4179 -0.8494 0.1025 -0.8766 -0.4702 -0.9410 -0.2387 0.2398 3.1647 1.9182 4.5658 0 2.5589 0.5604 9.7606
27.8199 -16.9860 83.3748 -0.3199 0.3993 -0.8592 0.1350 -0.8783 -0.4586 -0.9378 -0.2627 0.2271 3.7023 2.2641 5.4424 0.0309 3.4615 0.6360 12.2287
27.5723 -16.6835 82.7018 -0.3162 0.3777 -0.8703 0.1688 -0.8803 -0.4434 -0.9336 -0.2871 0.2146 3.7534 2.5486 5.6091 0.0325 3.5880 0.6397 12.1458
27.2756 -16.3390 81.8710 -0.3100 0.3493 -0.8842 0.2179 -0.8792 -0.4237 -0.9254 -0.3240 0.1964 3.4905 2.8198 4.6453 0.0356 3.4305 0.7385 11.0657
26.9530 -15.9879 80.9281 -0.3000 0.3148 -0.9005 0.2857 -0.8710 -0.3996 -0.9102 -0.3771 0.1713 3.3481 3.0842 3.6854 0.0391 3.3020 0.8960 10.5495
26.6278 -15.6599 79.9185 -0.2848 0.2757 -0.9181 0.3768 -0.8485 -0.3717 -0.8814 -0.4518 0.1378 3.3049 3.0150 3.5599 0.0429 3.2895 0.9240 10.4580
26.3208 -15.3744 78.8818 -0.2630 0.2347 -0.9358 0.4968 -0.7985 -0.3399 -0.8271 -0.5543 0.0934 3.3111 2.9568 3.6604 0.0461 3.2692 0.8931 10.4078
26.0484 -15.1390 77.8484 -0.2334 0.1960 -0.9524 0.6452 -0.7016 -0.3025 -0.7275 -0.6851 0.0373 3.3326 2.8585 3.7989 0.0484 3.2989 0.8684 10.5351
25.8214 -14.9500 76.8370 -0.1959 0.1640 -0.9668 0.8037 -0.5380 -0.2542 -0.5619 -0.8268 -0.0264 3.3836 2.8781 3.7909 0.0496 3.3537 0.8847 10.6689
25.6449 -14.7961 75.8546 -0.1524 0.1425 -0.9780 0.9287 -0.3179 -0.1911 -0.3381 -0.9374 -0.0839 3.3565 2.9591 3.6423 0.0498 3.3154 0.9103 10.5811
25.5186 -14.6631 74.8983 -0.1067 0.1323 -0.9855 0.9866 -0.1090 -0.1214 -0.1235 -0.9852 -0.1189 3.4010 3.1099 3.5661 0.0483 3.3614 0.9426 10.6764
25.4379 -14.5388 73.9580 -0.0639 0.1297 -0.9895 0.9979 -0.0015 -0.0646 -0.0099 -0.9915 -0.1294 3.4240 3.2709 3.7352 0.0424 3.3886 0.9072 10.8032
25.3948 -14.4165 73.0209 -0.0289 0.1283 -0.9913 0.9948 -0.0935 -0.0411 -0.0979 -0.9873 -0.1249 3.5157 3.2379 3.9587 0.0319 3.4745 0.8777 11.2161
25.3798 -14.2969 72.0744 -0.0046 0.1211 -0.9926 0.8424 -0.5344 -0.0690 -0.5388 -0.8365 -0.0995 3.6345 3.2076 4.1639 0.0228 3.5544 0.8536 11.6176
25.3826 -14.1869 71.1100 0.0085 0.1037 -0.9946 0.3102 -0.9458 -0.0960 -0.9506 -0.3077 -0.0402 3.5687 2.9947 3.9218 0.0249 3.5020 0.8929 11.2550
25.3932 -14.0973 70.1247 0.0113 0.0759 -0.9971 -0.0603 -0.9953 -0.0764 -0.9981 0.0610 -0.0067 3.4767 2.7000 4.0740 0.0329 3.3966 0.8337 10.9775
25.4023 -14.0384 69.1215 0.0055 0.0405 -0.9992 -0.2491 -0.9676 -0.0406 -0.9685 0.2491 0.0048 5.2573 2.6349 11.2915 0.0389 3.8595 0.3418 20.9664
25.4015 -14.0163 68.1081 -0.0083 0.0035 -1.0000 -0.4430 -0.8965 0.0005 -0.8965 0.4430 0.0090 5.1355 2.9369 9.9821 0.0393 4.2907 0.4298 19.3923
25.3805 -14.0329 67.0190 -0.0318 -0.0335 -0.9989 -0.6180 -0.7848 0.0460 -0.7856 0.6188 0.0043 5.3555 2.9336 9.3084 0 4.7505 0.5103 18.6899
Columns 20 through 21
6.2440 0.2953
10.5823 0.5999
10.8946 0.6634
9.4903 0.5107
8.7088 0.3795
8.6004 0.1906
8.5063 0.1727
8.6884 0.2968
8.9451 0.2426
8.7702 0.1438
8.9719 0.2105
9.1518 0.3675
9.7426 0.4313
10.3233 0.4703
9.8536 0.4637
9.3216 0.4914
20.2297 0.8860
20.8015 0.8718
22.1968 0.8188
Edit - Fixed some typos.