On a Sunday afternoon in early May, a routine commercial flight landing at one of the busiest East Coast airports ended in an unexpected collision that closed sections of a major highway and left one person with minor injuries. The incident, which unfolded around 2 p.m. local time on May 3, involved United Airlines Flight 169, which was completing a transatlantic journey from Venice, Italy, to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
As the jetliner, a Boeing 767 carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew members, made its final approach to the runway, its wing made contact with a stationary lamppost along the adjacent New Jersey Turnpike, according to official statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The impact sent debris from the light pole into the path of a moving southbound tractor-trailer, operated by H&S Bakery, resulting in a secondary collision. The plane sustained only minor damage from the incident, and the aircraft managed to complete its landing safely without further incident on the runway.
No passengers or crew members on board the commercial jet suffered any injuries, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials confirmed in an official update. For the delivery truck driver, the encounter resulted in small cuts when the plane’s wheel crashed through the driver’s side window, company senior vice president Chuck Paterakis shared in a statement. Though the driver was transported to a local hospital for evaluation of his minor injuries, he was quickly released and has since recovered from the incident. Paterakis added that the delivery truck itself remained largely undamaged despite the collision.
In the wake of the incident, United Airlines announced it would launch a full, rigorous internal investigation into flight safety protocols surrounding the event. As a standard procedural step during ongoing inquiries, the full crew operating Flight 169 has been temporarily removed from active service. The FAA, the federal body responsible for overseeing civil aviation safety in the United States, has also confirmed it will launch its own independent investigation into how the collision occurred.
Emergency response teams including New Jersey State Police were dispatched to the highway to clear debris, secure the scene, and manage traffic disruptions following the incident. As of the initial reporting, neither New Jersey State Police nor aircraft manufacturer Boeing have issued an official statement in response to requests for comment from Agence France-Presse.