United Flight From Venice Strikes Light Pole on Final Approach to Newark Liberty, Damaging a Turnpike Truck Below
United Flight 169, a Boeing 767-400 arriving from Venice with 221 passengers and 10 crew, struck a light pole over the New Jersey Turnpike on final approach to Runway 29 on Sunday afternoon, damaging a tractor-trailer below and sending its driver to the hospital with minor injuries before landing safely, authorities said.
A United Airlines flight arriving from Venice struck a light pole above the New Jersey Turnpike while on final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday afternoon, damaging a tractor-trailer traveling below and sending its driver to the hospital with minor injuries, authorities said in the WABC report read in full by this desk. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. as United Flight 169, a Boeing 767-400, was approaching Runway 29, and airport officials said the aircraft came into contact with a light pole over the southbound lanes of the Turnpike, causing damage to both the pole and the truck.
Despite the contact, the aircraft landed safely. There were 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board, and no injuries were reported among those on the plane, according to the report. United said the aircraft taxied to the gate normally and sustained only minor damage, and the airline said its maintenance team is evaluating the aircraft and that it will conduct a rigorous flight safety investigation, with the crew removed from service as part of that process, according to the statement carried in the report.
The Port Authority Police Department and New Jersey State Police responded to the scene on the Turnpike, according to the report. The tractor-trailer driver, identified in the report as Warren Boardley of Baltimore, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released; the truck belonged to Baker's Express and was en route to deliver bread products to a Newark airport depot, according to Chuck Paterakis of Schmidt Bakery and the H&S Family of Bakeries, as reported. Airport officials said runway inspections were conducted immediately after the incident and normal operations quickly resumed. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating, and officials with the FAA and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority were on site Sunday evening conducting inspections and gathering evidence, according to the report.
