United Jet Hits Pole, Truck During Newark Landing Approach

United Airlines passenger jets at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2023.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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By Angus Whitley, Leen Al-Rashdan, and Allyson Versprille

May 4, 2026 at 1:25 AM UTC

Updated on

May 4, 2026 at 6:22 PM UTC

A United Airlines Holdings Inc. plane grazed a vehicle and light post on an adjacent highway in its final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday, the latest in a string of incidents that have put the spotlight on aviation safety in the US.

United Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, hit the pole on the New Jersey Turnpike around 2 p.m. local time before touching down safely, the US Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.