This weekend, several pilots reported near collisions and other issues while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport, where a United Airlines flight struck a truck.
A confidential report submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration highlights ongoing concerns with “Stadium Visual Rwy 29,” a route notorious for its complications and risks.
Robert Joslin, a former FAA chief science and technology advisor, described the approach as particularly treacherous, marked by sharp 70-degree turns and notably short runways, along with inadequate guide lights.
He expressed concern, stating, “If we fall short of that goal, we’re going into the Wild West,” and now serves as a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Joslin noted that if United Airlines Flight 169 veered to the right as it appeared to, it would place the plane directly above traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Landing on Runway 29, the airport’s shortest at around 6,700 feet, requires aircraft to maintain a specific angle and precisely 500 feet of altitude.
Complicating matters, the heading light (known as the “PAPI light”) is positioned on the right side of the runway, which can be disorienting for pilots not anticipating it, Joslin pointed out.
While pilots typically rely on an “instrument approach” for landings, heavy air traffic can lead them to request a “visual approach,” which involves guiding the plane by sight.
Visual approaches can expedite landings but are inherently more challenging and hinge on the pilot’s experience and skill level.
Numerous pilots have lodged complaints about Stadium Visual Rwy 29 through the FAA’s confidential reporting mechanism.
Mr. Joslin maintained that if the pilot executed all procedures correctly, the approach should be safe. However, he refrained from speculating on the specific nature of what went wrong.
“There are always extenuating circumstances, but we don’t know them yet,” he added.
