United jet was too slow and too low in Newark landing accident : NPR
NPR • • business
Key Points:
- The NTSB reported that the United Airlines Boeing 767 was flying too slow and low before landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 3, 2026, resulting in the plane striking a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike and damaging a tractor-trailer truck.
- The truck driver sustained minor injuries, but none of the 231 passengers and crew on the flight from Venice, Italy were hurt.
- The flight crew changed the landing runway twice during a gusty approach, with the captain flying and the first officer monitoring instruments; the first officer warned the captain about low airspeed and altitude before the impact.
- The plane crossed over the turnpike at 19 feet above ground, causing punctures to the fuselage and damage to a landing gear tire, but landed safely at the gate.
- United Airlines has reminded its pilots to use visual glideslope indicators for safe landings at Newark, and the NTSB's final investigation report is expected within a year.