United Airlines Issues Safety Bulletin After Boeing 767 Clips Light Pole in Newark
United Airlines has issued a safety bulletin to its pilots following an incident in which a Boeing 767 struck a light pole in the vicinity of Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Incident: Impact on Short Final
On May 3, a United Airlines Boeing 767 was on short final approach to Newark when it clipped a light pole located on the New Jersey Turnpike, at an altitude of just 15 feet (4.5 meters) above the ground.
As a result of the impact, debris from the pole fell and struck a tractor-trailer traveling southbound on the highway, an event captured in a shocking video.
Despite the severity of the collision, the outcome resulted in no fatalities:
- Passengers and Crew: The 220 passengers and 11 flight and cabin crew members disembarked at the gate without sustaining injuries.
- Third Parties Involved: The truck driver suffered minor injuries.
- Material Damage: The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
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NTSB Preliminary Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the occurrence. According to testimonies gathered by the agency:
- The captain flying stated that he “felt fast” regarding airspeed while turning the aircraft toward the runway. To compensate, he reduced power using the thrust levers.
- During short final, the first officer noticed the airspeed drop, exclaiming, “Hey, you’re slow,” followed moments later by a second warning: “Still slow and a little low.”
- Just prior to touchdown, the captain heard a loud thud, while the first officer recalled feeling a slight jolt.
A subsequent NTSB inspection revealed that the Boeing 767 sustained three punctures on the lower left side of the fuselage and deep slash marks on a tire of the left main landing gear.
United Directives: “Ducking Under” Prohibited
In response to the incident, United Airlines’ Flight Operations division reacted by issuing a specific alert for arrivals targeting the affected runway at Newark. The airline identified the piloting technique known as “ducking under”—deliberately descending below the optimal glide path—as a contributing factor leading to dangerously low approach altitudes during the visual segment at certain airports and runways.
To mitigate this risk moving forward, the company’s safety bulletin establishes strict parameters:
Approaches must be conducted so that touchdown strictly occurs 1,500 feet past the runway threshold, and under no circumstances prior to 1,000 feet from it.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing to determine the definitive contributing factors of this safety event. Meanwhile, United Airlines’ new operational guidelines are already in effect for all crews, aiming to standardize altitude margins and eliminate excessively low flight profiles during critical landing phases.
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