The United Airlines Boeing 767 struck a street light on the New Jersey Turnpike as it made its final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey
An investigation has been launched after a Boeing 767 clipped a street light on a busy road as it came in to land at a busy US airport.
The United Airlines Boeing 767 struck a street light on the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday afternoon as it made its final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey.
Federal authorities have opened an investigation with staff from the The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) looking into the shocking incident that occurred just moments before the flight from Italy touched down.
In video of the incident shot from a moving car on the turnpike shocked onlookers can be heard to exclaim “Oh my goodness! That thing hit that!”
Despite hitting the light, United Flight 169 (a Boeing 767-400 arriving from Venice) landed safely at about 2pm. local time. None of the 221 passengers or 10 crew members on board were injured.
The aircraft (registration N77066) was making its final approach towards Newark airport when it clipped the street light located on the heavily trafficked New Jersey Turnpike, which runs adjacent to the airport’s perimeter, AirLive reports.
The plane should not have been so close to the ground and public infrastructure, with the incident raising urgent questions about the flight’s altitude during the final moments of its descent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have moved quickly to determine the cause of the low-altitude contact.
A lead investigator from the NTSB is due to arrive at Newark on Monday meanwhile investigators have ordered United Airlines to secure the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) for immediate analysis.
A preliminary report detailing the facts and circumstances is expected to be released within 30 days.
United Airlines said in a statement: “Upon its final approach into Newark International Airport, United flight 169 came into contact with a light pole. The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured. Our maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft and we will investigate how this occurred.”
