United flight struck pole just 19 feet above highway

United Flight – A preliminary NTSB report says a United Airlines Boeing 767 coming into Newark Liberty last month was about 19 feet above the New Jersey Turnpike when it struck a light pole. Investigators found the aircraft stayed below the normal glide path for roughly the f

For a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, that moment can feel like the ground is suddenly closer than it should be. For the people inside United Flight 169, it was something else entirely: a landing that ended with a light pole hit at just 19 feet above the highway.

The National Transportation Safety Board said its preliminary report found the Boeing 767 was hovering roughly 19 feet above the center of the New Jersey Turnpike moments before touchdown at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Flight data released by the NTSB shows the aircraft remained below the normal glide path for about the final three-quarters of a mile before landing.

The incident took place in May, when the United flight—arriving from Venice, Italy—was landing at Newark. The aircraft crossed over the New Jersey Turnpike on approach at more than 160 miles per hour. according to flight tracking site FlightRadar24. before a tire from the plane’s landing gear and the underside of the aircraft collided with a pole.

At the time, New Jersey State Police said the plane also struck a tractor-trailer. But the NTSB found the damage to the truck was actually caused by debris from the pole. The report says no evidence of tire marks was found on the tractor-trailer. The driver of the tractor-trailer sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The pole also struck a Jeep, the New Jersey State Police said.

Inside the cockpit, the NTSB report describes a different thread of tension—an approach shaped by turbulence and speed decisions. On May 3. as the plane was preparing to land. the captain stated he “turned off the autopilot and the auto-throttles” and “said that he ‘got fast’ while he turned the airplane into the headwind.” He “pulled the power levers back to compensate. ” and the plane “returned to a stable airspeed. ” with wind gusts “producing ‘moderate turbulence. ’” according to the NTSB.

Investigators also said the first officer warned the captain that the Boeing 767 was “slow” and “a little low” on approach. Multiple crewmembers later told investigators they heard or felt something abnormal as the plane was landing.

The captain said he “heard a thump.” The first officer said he felt a “mild jolt.” Flight attendants at the rear of the plane reported they “heard a loud bang,” the report details.

Despite what happened off the runway’s edge, the people on board were not injured. The Boeing 767 had more than 200 passengers and 11 crew members, and the plane landed normally. When the NTSB arrived on-site, it found three punctures to the lower left side of the back of the airplane. Investigators said the punctures affected all three elements of the fuselage structure and made the damage “substantial. ” according to the NTSB. The report also says there were slashes through one of the plane’s tires.

Recordings of air traffic control communications captured by LiveATC.net indicated the pilots and air traffic control did not appear to be aware the plane had struck the light pole upon landing.

The runway involved was Newark’s Runway 29, which starts less than 400 feet from the edge of the busy New Jersey Turnpike. The runway is not always used, but when wind conditions are right, it can bring frequent landings low over the highway—landings that can surprise drivers as aircraft pass.

The NTSB is still investigating. A final report will be released after the investigation concludes.

United Airlines Flight 169 NTSB preliminary report Newark Liberty International Airport New Jersey Turnpike light pole strike Boeing 767 runway 29 moderate turbulence glide path