On 3 May 2026, a United Airlines Boeing 767 struck a lorry and a light pole on a busy motorway during its approach to Newark Liberty International Airport. All 231 people on board survived without serious injury, but the collision has raised urgent questions about how aircraft approach one of America’s most troubled airports.
What happened
United Airlines Flight 169 had flown from Venice, Italy, carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew members. As the Boeing 767-400 made its final approach to Runway 29, it descended too low. The New Jersey Turnpike — a major motorway — runs directly beneath this approach path.
Flying at about 139 knots (roughly 160 miles per hour), the plane’s landing gear struck a tractor-trailer on the motorway. The collision knocked a nearby light pole to the ground, which then fell onto a Jeep travelling in the other direction.
The aircraft landed safely. The truck driver suffered minor cuts from broken glass. The Jeep driver and all passengers on the plane were unharmed.
Because of the damage to the aircraft and the road vehicles, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officially classified the event as an accident. The NTSB is the government body responsible for investigating serious transport incidents in the United States.
Why it matters
The New Jersey Turnpike runs very close to the threshold of Runway 29. Aircraft must cross this motorway at a very low altitude during the last moments of their approach. This leaves crews almost no margin for error.
Newark has already had a difficult year. A separate radar failure earlier in 2026 caused widespread disruption to flights and raised concerns about the airport’s safety systems. This latest incident is expected to increase pressure on the FAA to review approach procedures at Newark.
What comes next
Both the FAA and the NTSB have launched formal investigations. They will study the aircraft’s flight path, its height above the motorway, and whether the crew followed standard approach procedures.
The cause of the unusually low approach is not yet known. If a procedural error or technical fault is identified, the findings could lead to changes in approach rules at Newark. Other airports where flight paths cross busy roads may also be reviewed.
Key vocabulary:
- final approach – the last stage of a flight before landing, when the aircraft descends toward the runway
- landing gear – the wheels and supporting structure under an aircraft, used during takeoff and landing
- tractor-trailer – a large lorry made of two parts: a front engine cab and a long cargo section behind it
- NTSB – the National Transportation Safety Board, the US government body that investigates serious transport accidents
- threshold – the marked beginning of a runway, where aircraft first cross on landing
- margin for error – the amount of room available to correct a mistake before it causes serious consequences
- procedural error – a mistake that occurs when someone does not follow the correct steps or required procedures
CEFR Level B1-B2 / ICAO Level 4-5