United Airlines plane that hit light pole landing in Newark flew just 19 feet above Jersey Turnpike, probe shows

The United Airlines plane that hit a light pole while landing at Newark International Airport last month was flying just 19 feet above the busy Jersey Turnpike, an initial investigation…

The United Airlines plane that hit a light pole while landing at Newark International Airport last month was flying just 19 feet above the busy Jersey Turnpike, an initial investigation showed.

The May 3 flight was cruising below the safe landing path for about three-quarters of a mile before reaching the runway and striking the light pole, the early National Transportation Safety Board report showed.

The tail and a portion of the fuselage of a United Airlines plane are visible, with two streetlights in the foreground and a gray SUV driving on a highway below.
A United Airlines plane after hitting a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike as it lands at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 3, 2026. Patrick Oyulu via AP

It was so low it was initially thought that the plane’s landing gear struck a passing tractor-trailer. However, the report showed that the truck was actually hit by debris from the struck light pole, according to CNN.

A Jeep on the highway was also struck by debris, while the driver of the tractor-trailer was injured.

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