United Airlines jet flew too low and too slow before striking light pole and truck near Newark airport: NTSB

A United Airlines flight encountered a dangerous situation when it flew too low and slow, colliding with a light pole and a tractor-trailer just before landing at Newark Liberty International Airport last month. This information was revealed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The incident involved Flight 169, which was en route from Venice, Italy, to New Jersey. On its approach around 2 p.m. on May 3, the aircraft hit a light pole and a Schmidt Bakery truck during its descent.

Dashcam footage captured the dramatic moment when the Boeing 767-400 passenger jet made contact with the bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. Despite the collision, all 231 crew members and passengers on board were unharmed, and the plane managed to land safely.

The driver of the bakery truck sustained minor injuries in the incident.

The events unfolded as the aircraft was making its descent toward the airport. According to an 11-page preliminary report, the crew had to deal with several runway changes before finally being directed to land on runway 29. The NTSB highlighted that the flight proceeded normally until the descent phase.

The aircraft was descending toward the airport when the crew experienced multiple runway changes before finally being assigned to runway 29, an 11-page preliminary report states. The NTSB noted that the flight was “normal until the descent.”

As the plane neared the runway, its airspeed began to decay, prompting the first officer to warn the captain that the aircraft was “still slow and a little low.”

The airplane descended dangerously low, reaching just 18 to 19 feet above ground level as it crossed over the Turnpike. It then struck a 15-foot-tall light pole on the turnpike just seconds before landing, the report said.

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 captain reported hearing a “thump,” while flight attendants in the back heard a “loud bang” just before touchdown.

After the plane parked at the gate, an onsite examination revealed three punctures to the lower left aft fuselage and slash marks on one tire, the report states.

United Airlines plane clipping a tractor trailer during approach at Newark Liberty International Airport

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)

When asked about the report, a United spokesperson told News Agency, “We don’t have anything to share.”

Following the accident, United Airlines issued a safety alert explicitly warning pilots about using visual glideslope indicators—the lighting systems designed to provide visual guidance during approach and landing to let pilots know if they are flying too high or too low along their descent path.

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