A United Airlines Boeing 767-400 arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) hit a tractor-trailer and struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike while landing, injuring the truck driver but causing no injuries to passengers or crew aboard the aircraft.
United Flight 169 was arriving from Venice, Italy, on May 3, 2026, with 221 passengers and 10 crew members when the aircraft struck the light pole and the truck during final approach to EWR’s Runway 29, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United Airlines and local reporting.
The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate, United said.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed the aircraft struck the light pole on the Turnpike, causing damage to the pole, the tractor-trailer and the aircraft. The pole reportedly also struck another vehicle on the highway.
New Jersey State Police said a tire from the aircraft’s landing gear and part of the underside of the aircraft hit the tractor-trailer and the light pole. The driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The truck was carrying bread products and the driver suffered cuts from broken glass to his arm, according to local reports.
The FAA said the incident happened around 14:00 local time. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
The NTSB said it has opened an investigation and directed United to provide the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. The agency said an investigator was expected to arrive in Newark on May 4, 2026. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
United said its maintenance team was evaluating damage to the aircraft. The airline also said the crew had been removed from duty while it conducts an investigation.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 identified the aircraft as N77066, a Boeing 767-400ER.
Video circulating online appears to show the aircraft striking the tractor-trailer during the approach.
Runway 29’s approach path crosses near the New Jersey Turnpike, where arriving aircraft can appear unusually low from the ground before crossing the runway threshold.
Contact with a light pole and a vehicle, however, is highly unusual and will likely place close focus on the aircraft’s final approach path, altitude, descent rate and clearance from obstacles near the runway environment.
Airport staff inspected the runway for debris after the incident, and normal operations resumed, according to the Port Authority.
