United Airlines Incident at Newark: NTSB Highlights Key Factors
In a recent report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) detailed an incident involving a United Airlines flight that arrived from Venice, Italy, at Newark Liberty International Airport. The flight’s captain was found to be flying both too slow and too low just before landing, leading to a collision with a light pole.
United Airlines aircraft are seen at the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in 2023. © Joshua A. Bickel/AP
The Boeing 767 clipped a light pole, which led to damage to a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. The truck driver suffered minor injuries, while all 231 passengers on the flight were unharmed. Dashcam video captured the plane’s landing gear narrowly avoiding the cab of the truck, followed by the sound of the impact.
The NTSB’s preliminary report reveals that the flight was redirected twice before finally landing on runway 29. During the descent, the first officer alerted the captain with warnings such as, “hey you are slow” and “you are still slow and a little low.”
Despite these alerts, the captain believed the aircraft was positioned safely to complete the landing. As the jet crossed the turnpike, it was flying at an altitude of 19 feet, resulting in the collision. Post-landing inspections revealed fuselage punctures and slash marks on a tire.
Following the incident, United Airlines reminded its pilots to use visual glideslope indicators to ensure safe landings at Newark. When asked about the NTSB findings and the captain’s current status, a United spokesperson responded, “We don’t have anything to share.”
The NTSB expects to conclude its investigation within a year.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
