United Airlines Plane Collides with Truck and Light Pole During Newark Landing; One Injured

Overview:

A United Airlines flight landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday collided with a streetlight and a tractor-trailer on the nearby highway. The truck driver sustained minor injuries, while all 231 passengers and crew on board escaped unharmed, officials reported.

Flight Details:

• Flight: United Flight 169
• Route: Venice, Italy → Newark, New Jersey
• Aircraft: Boeing 767
• Passengers/Crew: 231 (10 crew members, over 200 passengers)
• Speed: More than 160 mph at low altitude near the New Jersey Turnpike

Incident Description:

A tire from the plane’s landing gear and the underside of the aircraft struck a pole and a tractor-trailer, causing shards of glass to fly. The pole also hit a Jeep, though no one in that vehicle was reported injured.

Truck Driver:

• Name: Warren Boardley, Baltimore
• Injuries: Cuts to arm from glass; non-life-threatening
• Situation: Boardley was delivering bread products to a Newark depot and was able to safely pull over.

Eyewitness Account:

• Patrick Oyulu, a nearby driver, reported a strong gust of wind from the low-flying plane and saw debris hitting the highway.

Airport and Air Traffic Control:

• Runway 29, where the plane landed, is located less than 400 feet from the New Jersey Turnpike.
• Air traffic control and the pilots were initially unaware that the plane had struck a light pole.
• Recordings indicate a hole in the side of the aircraft was reported about 30 minutes after landing.
• The plane taxied to the gate normally, and other aircraft continued landing.

Official Responses:

• United Airlines: Conducting a rigorous flight safety investigation; crew removed from service; maintenance team evaluating damage.
• New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill: Expressed gratitude that all passengers and crew were unharmed.
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB): Sending an investigator and requesting the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.

Additional Details:

• Dashcam footage captured the sound of the plane and glass flying.
• Runway 29 is sometimes used depending on wind conditions and its proximity to the Turnpike can startle drivers due to low-altitude approaches.