Additional Coverage:
- New footage shows insane moment United Airlines jet crashes into pole and strikes bakery truck (themirror.com)
A United Airlines flight made an unexpected and alarming contact with a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike as it approached Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The incident unfolded just as the Boeing 767, carrying 221 passengers and 10 crew members from Venice, Italy, was preparing to land. According to Chuck Paterakis, senior vice president of transportation and logistics at Baltimore-based H&S Bakery, the bakery truck was en route to a Schmidt bakery depot in Newark when it was struck by the aircraft’s landing gear as the driver attempted to exit the highway.
Video footage captured the dramatic moment the plane flew low over the Turnpike before landing around 2 p.m. The landing gear tire reportedly broke through the truck’s window and windshield, causing injuries to the driver, Warren Boardley Jr., who was hospitalized and treated for glass wounds to his arm and hand.
The aircraft also clipped a light pole during its final approach, but despite the damage, the plane landed safely and taxied to the gate without injury to passengers or crew. United Airlines confirmed the situation and stated that their maintenance team is assessing the damage while cooperating with an ongoing investigation.
The New Jersey State Police confirmed that both the landing gear tire and the underside of the aircraft made contact with the light pole and the bakery truck. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a thorough investigation into the event, examining factors such as flight operations, weather conditions, human performance, crew resource management, aircraft performance, and air traffic control.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized on Monday morning that the investigation is still in its early stages and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. Meanwhile, H&S Bakery expressed relief that everyone involved is safe and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating fully with authorities as the inquiry continues.