(Bloomberg) — A United Airlines Holdings Inc. flight approaching Newark Liberty International Airport crashed into a light pole on an adjacent highway before landing safely, the latest in a series of incidents that have focused attention on U.S. aviation safety.
United Flight 169 from Venice, Italy hit a utility pole on a New Jersey highway before landing around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
According to a post on X by New Jersey Governor Mikey Sherrill, none of the passengers or crew were injured. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. The aircraft involved was a Boeing Co. 767.
A tire from the plane’s undercarriage and belly struck both a utility pole and a semi truck traveling southbound on the turnpike, CBS News said in a report citing New Jersey State Police and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The driver was hospitalized with minor injuries and released, according to the network.
The pole also hit a Jeep that was in the road, CBS reported.
In a separate statement, the NTSB said it had asked United for the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. An agency investigator is scheduled to arrive in Newark on Monday.
A preliminary report describing the facts and circumstances of the event is expected within 30 days.
The incident occurred at a time of heightened aviation security scrutiny. In March, an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire engine shortly after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing the captain and co-pilot. The crash was the third major commercial aviation accident on US soil in just 15 months.
More such stories are available at bloomberg.com
