United Flight Clips Light Pole on NJ Turnpike
United Flight 169 from Venice struck a light pole and a truck on the NJ Turnpike on approach to Newark. No passengers injured. NTSB is investigating.
Anyone who has driven the New Jersey Turnpike near Newark knows the feeling. You're in traffic, and suddenly a wide-body jet slides overhead, close enough that you instinctively duck. The runways at Newark Liberty International Airport sit right at the edge of I-95, meaning aircraft on final approach to Runway 4L come in low. I've driven that stretch dozens of times. Every time, I think: that is incredibly close. On Sunday, it stopped being close.
What Happened
United Airlines Flight 169, a Boeing 767 operating from Venice, Italy with 221 passengers and 10 crew members aboard, struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike during its final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
According to the New Jersey State Police and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the plane's landing gear and the underside of the aircraft also made contact with a delivery truck on the highway. The light pole then came down and struck a van traveling on the Turnpike.
The FAA confirmed the aircraft "came into contact with a light pole" on final approach and landed safely. United said no passengers or crew were injured. The driver of the delivery truck was transported to a hospital with minor injuries like cuts from glass and was later released.
A video from inside the bakery delivery truck that was hit shows the moment of impact — windows shattering, the cab jolting violently, the truck overturning.
The Investigation
The NTSB said an investigator would arrive at Newark on Monday and has directed United to preserve both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
United confirmed its maintenance team was evaluating aircraft damage and that the crew has been removed from service while the airline conducts what it described as a "rigorous" flight safety investigation.
Why This Runway Has Always Been a Conversation
Newark's Runway 4L is one of the most uniquely constrained approaches at any major U.S. airport. The Turnpike doesn't just run near the airport — it runs directly under the glidepath. There's essentially no buffer. This isn't a new concern. Aviation planners and airport neighbors have noted the proximity of the highway for years.
Early indications suggest the plane was on a normal approach profile. Whether something about the approach, the weather, or the aircraft's attitude during flare contributed is exactly what the NTSB will determine.
An Honest Take
I'm not surprised something like this happened here. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. That stretch of highway is genuinely unnerving from the driver's seat — the aircraft are that low, that close, and the clearance between the glidepath and the infrastructure like light posts is limited. For now, if you're flying into Newark on Runway 4L, the approach over the Turnpike will feel a little different knowing what happened Sunday.
Source: AP News.
Related: United MileagePlus 2026 Updates · American Airlines App Delay Explanation Feature