United Airlines Co-pilot Aware of Low Flight Before Collision
WHO:
AP News - The copilot of a United Airlines passenger jet.
AP News - D. Blake Stringer, director of the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University.
AP News - Steve Arroyo, a retired United Airlines captain and safety expert.
AP News - Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety expert.
WHAT:
AP News - Crewmembers recalled hearing a loud “thump” and feeling a “mild jolt” just before touchdown.
AP News - The first officer stated, “you are still slow and a little low” as the plane descended.
AP News - The report clarifies that debris from the light pole, not the plane itself, hit a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
AP News - The truck's windshield was damaged and its trailer punctured, but there was no evidence of tire marks on the tractor cab or trailer.
AP News - A United Airlines passenger jet struck a light pole while landing.
AP News - The incident occurred during a flight from Venice, Italy, to Newark Liberty International Airport.
AP News - The plane sustained “substantial” damage to its fuselage and one of its landing tires had evidence of slash marks.
AP News - None of the more than 200 people aboard the plane were hurt.
AP News - The truck’s windshield was damaged and its trailer punctured due to debris from the light pole.
WHERE:
AP News - Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey.
AP News - New Jersey Turnpike, where the truck was traveling.
WHEN:
AP News - The incident occurred on May 3.
AP News - The NTSB report is expected to be finalized sometime next year.
WHY:
AP News - The copilot recognized the plane was coming in low but did not call for an aborted landing in time.
AP News - The pilot intentionally took a shallow approach to the runway that was below the established flight path.
AP News - Strong winds were gusting up to 31 mph (50 kph) at the time of landing, which posed challenges for the pilot.
HOW:
AP News - The plane's runway assignment changed three times before landing, and it ultimately landed on the shortest runway at the airport, typically used during strong winds.
AP News - The plane's runway assignment changed three times before landing.
AP News - The pilot pulled the power levers back to compensate for wind gusts producing “moderate turbulence.”
(UPDATED June 5, 2026 06:22 UTC)
A recent report details that crewmembers heard a loud “thump” and felt a “mild jolt” just before their plane touched down, with the first officer noting that they were “still slow and a little low” during the descent. It was clarified that debris from a light pole, rather than the plane itself, struck a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike, causing damage to the truck's windshield and puncturing its trailer, although there were no tire marks found on the cab or trailer. Additionally, the plane's runway assignment changed three times before landing on the shortest runway at the airport, which is typically used during strong winds.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 01:43 UTC)
A United Airlines passenger jet struck a light pole while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport during a flight from Venice, Italy, resulting in substantial damage to the plane's fuselage and evidence of slash marks on one of its landing tires. Fortunately, none of the more than 200 people aboard were hurt, although debris from the light pole damaged a truck traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike. The incident occurred on May 3, and the NTSB report is expected to be finalized sometime next year, as the copilot recognized the plane was coming in low but did not call for an aborted landing in time, while strong winds posed additional challenges for the pilot.