NTSB says United jet was low before Newark landing

A United Airlines jet arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport was flying too slowly and too low moments before it struck a light pole along the New Jersey Turnpike, federal investigators said in a preliminary report on the May 3 accident.

The Boeing 767, operating as United Airlines Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, landed safely after the strike. None of the 231 people aboard the aircraft were injured, according to NPR. A tractor-trailer traveling southbound on the turnpike was damaged when debris from the light pole hit it, and the truck driver sustained minor injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the flight had been “normal until the descent.” As the aircraft approached Newark at about 1:50 p.m., the crew’s assigned runway changed multiple times. Investigators said the crew initially planned to land on runway 4R before the landing was changed to another runway and then to runway 29. The captain told investigators he was not concerned about the runway changes.

During the final approach, the captain was flying the aircraft while the first officer monitored the instruments in gusty conditions. The first officer told investigators that as the plane descended, he warned the captain, “Hey you are slow,” and then, moments later, “You are still slow and a little low.”

The captain told the NTSB he heard the first officer call out “airspeed slow,” but said he did not receive any windshear alerts and believed the plane was in a safe position to land. He also told investigators that he looked around and thought, “I thought we were low,” but the aircraft was about to touch down.

The jet crossed over the New Jersey Turnpike at 19 feet above the ground, NPR reported. The NTSB said the plane struck a light pole adjacent to the runway. Debris from the pole then hit the tractor-trailer, according to the preliminary report.

Dashcam video from the truck captured the moment. The footage showed the aircraft passing over the truck, with the landing gear just above the cab, followed by the sounds of the light pole striking the vehicle, NPR reported. Investigators said there was no evidence of tire marks on either the tractor or the cab, countering an initial belief that the plane’s landing gear had come into contact with the truck.

Crew members described hearing or feeling the impact just before landing. The captain said he “heard a thump” before touchdown, while the first officer said he felt a “mild jolt.” Another crew member reported hearing a thump one or two seconds before landing, and flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft said they heard a loud bang just before touchdown.

After the plane parked at the gate, the captain inspected the aircraft. Investigators found three punctures in the lower left aft fuselage, including a gash nearly four feet long and four inches wide. The plane also had smaller punctures, dents and creases, and one landing gear tire had “slash marks,” according to NPR. The NTSB classified the aircraft damage as “substantial.”

The NTSB said that after the accident, United reminded pilots landing at Newark to use the visual glideslope indicators next to the runway to ensure safe clearance over obstructions. Asked by NPR to comment on the report and whether the captain remains on flight status, a United spokesperson said, “We don’t have anything to share.”

The NTSB’s final investigation is expected to be completed within a year.