United flight landing in Newark strikes pole on New Jersey Turnpike, damages delivery truck

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A United Airlines passenger jet carrying 221 passengers from Venice, Italy, struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday afternoon as it was coming in for a landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, authorities said.

The airline said none of the passengers or 10 crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 169 were injured.

The New Jersey State Police said a landing tire and the underside of the plane also hit a truck, and the light pole then struck a Jeep that was on the highway. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and was released, said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Boeing 767 aircraft landed safely after it “came into contact with a light pole” on its final approach to Newark.

Aircraft landing on one of the main runways at Newark come sailing in, low, over multiple lanes of traffic on the Turnpike, which is one of the most congested parts of Interstate 95. The runway begins a stone’s throw from the edge of the highway.

Officials with the port authority confirmed that an object was struck and that a delivery truck on the turnpike at the time also was damaged. Minor damage to the aircraft was observed, airport staff inspected the runway for debris and normal operations were quickly resumed, according to the port authority.

United said its maintenance team was evaluating damage to the aircraft and that the crew was removed from service while it conducts a “rigorous” flight safety investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board said an NTSB investigator would arrive in Newark on Monday and that it had directed United to provide the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for the investigation.

A preliminary report was expected within 30 days, the NTSB said.