A newly surfaced video reveals a terrifying incident involving a United Airlines flight during its approach to Newark Liberty International Airport. Over the weekend, the flight dramatically collided with a light pole and a tractor-trailer, creating a tense moment captured on camera.
United Airlines Flight 169, en route from Venice, Italy, to New Jersey, encountered trouble during its descent at approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday. As it approached landing, the aircraft struck a light pole and made contact with a Schmidt Bakery truck.
Fortunately, all 221 passengers aboard the flight remained unharmed, and the plane managed to land safely after the collision.
The dramatic event was captured from inside the bakery truck, which was journeying from Baltimore to a company facility in New Jersey. The video shows the truck traveling along the New Jersey Turnpike when the plane’s landing gear and underside unexpectedly clipped the vehicle, sending it spinning down the road.
Surveillance footage from the incident reveals the moment the United Airlines plane clipped the tractor-trailer as it approached the airport. This footage, obtained by WBFF, captures the heart-stopping moment from May 3, 2026.
Amazingly, despite the severity of the incident, the truck driver sustained only minor injuries from broken glass and was promptly taken to a local hospital. Chuck Paterakis, the senior vice president of Transportation and Logistics and co-principal at the company, confirmed the driver’s condition.
“Upon its final approach into Newark International Airport, United flight 169 came into contact with a light pole,” United Airlines said in a statement. “The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured.”
The airline said maintenance teams are inspecting the aircraft for possible damage and conducting a full safety review. The crew members on board have been temporarily removed from service.
“The crash remains under investigation, and no additional information is available,” New Jersey State Police told FOX Business.
Surveillance footage shows a United Airlines plane clipping a tractor trailer during its approach at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 3, 2026. (Obtained by WBFF)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the aircraft struck the pole at roughly 2 p.m. local time and said it is investigating.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also looking into the incident and said an investigator is expected to arrive in Newark on Monday.
“The agency has directed United Airlines to secure and provide both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to support the investigation. A preliminary report outlining the facts and circumstances of the event is expected within 30 days,” NTSB told FOX Business in an email.
