United Airlines Boeing 767 Clips Turnpike Truck on Approach to Newark

A United Airlines Boeing 767-424ER, registration N77066, struck a highway light pole and a tractor-trailer on final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on May 3, 2026. The aircraft, operating as Flight 169 from Venice Marco Polo Airport, was conducting a visual approach to Runway 29 at approximately 2 p.m. EDT when it descended below the standard 3-degree glideslope. The jet was traveling at roughly 160 mph and approximately 30 feet above ground level when its landing gear clipped a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95).

The aircraft subsequently struck an H&S Bakery tractor-trailer. The severed light pole fell into oncoming traffic, striking a Jeep. Despite the impacts, the 767 landed safely and taxied to the gate under its own power. None of the 221 passengers and 10 crew members aboard were injured. The truck driver sustained minor injuries to his arm and hand.

Investigation Underway

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have opened investigations into the incident. The NTSB has ordered preservation of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, and the flight crew has been removed from duty pending the outcome of the probe. The event comes amid heightened scrutiny of United Airlines following a series of recent safety incidents. The Boeing 767-400ER series has maintained a relatively low accident rate compared with earlier variants of the 767 family.