Numerous pilots have reported close calls and other issues while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport, the site where United Flight 169 collided with a truck over the weekend.
Confidential documents submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration over the years highlight concerns with the “Stadium Visual Rwy 29” approach—a route infamous for its challenging and potentially hazardous conditions.
This landing path is particularly notorious for its steep 70-degree turn, a runway that is shorter than usual, atypical guidance lighting, and additional hurdles, according to Robert Joslin, who previously served as the FAA’s top scientific and technical advisor.
“If you misjudge it, then you’re navigating uncharted territory,” remarked Joslin, now serving as a professor at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in a conversation with The Post.
Joslin explained that any deviation to the right of the runway—such as what happened with United 169—places aircraft perilously close to the busy New Jersey Turnpike.
To safely land on runway 29, which is the airport’s shortest at approximately 6,700 feet, pilots must adhere to a precise angle and maintain an altitude of exactly 500 feet.
Making matters worse, the orientation lights (“PAPI lights”) are on the right side of the runway, which is less common and can be “confusing” for pilots who aren’t expecting it, Joslin explained.
Normally, pilots use an “instrument approach” to land on the runway, but if air traffic is high, a pilot can request a “visual approach,” in which they guide the plane by sight.
Visual approaches are faster and more efficient, but they are also more challenging and rely on the skill and experience of the pilot.
Dozens of pilots have filed complaints about Stadium Visual Rwy 29 on the FAA’s confidential reporting system.
Joslin insisted the approach is perfectly safe if a pilot does everything right.
He also wouldn’t speculate on what, exactly, went wrong.
“There’s always extenuating circumstances, and we’re not privy to those yet.”
