The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report concerning a United Airlines flight from Venice, Italy, to Newark Liberty International Airport. The report highlighted issues of the aircraft flying too slow and too low during the landing phase last month. The Boeing 767 struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike, causing damage to a nearby tractor-trailer truck and resulting in minor injuries to the truck driver. Fortunately, all 231 passengers on the aircraft were unharmed.
Dashcam footage captured the dramatic moment the plane’s landing gear narrowly missed the truck’s cab. The footage, shared by Tara Lynch on social media, vividly shows the light pole impacting the truck.
The NTSB’s 11-page report on the May 3, 2026, incident indicates that the flight was routine until the descent. The landing runway was altered twice, eventually to runway 29. During the approach, the captain was piloting while the first officer managed the flight instruments amid gusty conditions. Concerns arose when the airspeed decreased significantly. The first officer reportedly alerted the captain multiple times about the slowdown and the plane’s low altitude.
Despite hearing these alerts, the captain expressed confidence in the aircraft’s position, as detailed by the NTSB. Just before touching down, the captain noted a “thump,” while the first officer experienced a “mild jolt.” Investigators found that the plane crossed the turnpike at a dangerously low altitude of 19 feet above the ground. Subsequent inspections revealed punctures in the fuselage and slash marks on one of the landing gear tires.
In response to the incident, United Airlines has reminded pilots landing at Newark to use visual glideslope indicators to maintain safe clearance over obstacles. When approached for comments regarding the report and the captain’s flight status, a United spokesperson did not provide additional information. A completed NTSB investigation is anticipated within a year.
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