United Airlines Co-Pilot’s Account of New Jersey Plane Incident
Investigators learned that the co-pilot of a United Airlines flight, which crashed into a utility pole during landing at a New Jersey airport last month, was aware that the plane was flying low but didn’t take action in time to abort the landing. This information came to light in a report released on Thursday.
The crew of the May 3 flight from Venice, Italy, reported a loud “thud” and felt a “mild impact” shortly before reaching Newark Liberty International Airport, according to an initial assessment by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The co-pilot recalled mentioning, “It’s still slow and we’re a little low,” as the aircraft descended. He then looked outside and felt the plane was close to the ground, despite its altitude being concerning.
This report is the first detailed account from the crew, but it doesn’t clarify why the plane lost so much altitude or provide suggestions to avert such incidents in the future. Final recommendations might arrive with the NTSB’s conclusive report expected next year.
Interestingly, it turns out that the aircraft didn’t directly collide with a truck that was on the New Jersey Turnpike, as originally reported. Instead, fragments from the utility pole were what caused the damage. Early statements from law enforcement indicated the plane had struck the roof of a bakery truck, resulting in minor injuries for the driver.
While the truck’s windshield was broken and one of its trailers had a flat tire, there were no tire marks found on the cab or trailer. The NTSB indicated that the Boeing 767 suffered “significant” damage to its fuselage yet managed to land safely, with some indications of cuts on one of its landing tires. Remarkably, no injuries were reported among the over 200 individuals on board.
Many regular drivers on Interstate 95 near Newark Airport often witness planes descending at low altitudes, so this incident might not have seemed out of the ordinary at first glance.
Video footage from a dashcam inside the truck captured the moment just before the crash. The driver appeared to be happily singing before turning to look out the window, noticeably anxious as the sound of the jet engine became apparent. Moments later, part of the plane appeared outside his driver’s side window.
A representative from United Airlines did not immediately comment on the incident when contacted by The Associated Press.
D. Blake Stringer, director at the Ohio State University Center for Aeronautical Research, interpreted the NTSB findings as suggesting that the pilot may have intentionally opted for a more shallow approach, descending below the intended flight path.
“If a pilot is unable to follow the prescribed path, the usual advice is to steepen the descent,” he noted.
Additionally, Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines captain and safety expert, pointed out that they could have, and probably should have, prepared better for the unique landing conditions at the runways in question.
“They were already lower than they should have been before even crossing the New Jersey Turnpike,” he emphasized.
According to the report, the plane had its assigned runway changed three times prior to landing. The runway where they eventually landed is actually the shortest one at the airport, typically reserved for situations like strong winds—which was the case that afternoon.
Moreover, aviation safety expert Jeff Gazzetti suggested that the strong winds also posed challenges for the pilots. Just ahead of landing, the pilot mentioned that he turned the aircraft into a headwind, which made it “go faster,” as reported. Those gusts resulted in “moderate turbulence,” prompting the pilot to adjust the power lever accordingly.
Air traffic controllers indicated that winds were gusting up to 50 km/h (31 mph) during this time.
