Investigators are reviewing flight recorders and dashcam video after the jet landed safely with 231 people aboard.
NEWARK, N.J. — A United Airlines jet arriving from Venice struck a light pole and a bakery truck near Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday, injuring the truck driver before the plane landed safely with 231 people aboard.
The collision turned a routine international arrival into a federal investigation and a widely shared video. United Flight 169, a Boeing 767, was on final approach to Newark when it descended low over the New Jersey Turnpike at about 2 p.m. The plane carried 221 passengers and 10 crew members. No one on board was hurt, officials said. The truck driver suffered minor injuries from broken glass and was treated at a hospital.
Dashcam video from inside the H&S Family of Bakeries truck showed driver Warren Boardley traveling on the Turnpike moments before the impact. The plane came in low from behind and clipped the truck as it approached Runway 29. The video showed the truck lurching as debris and glass moved through the cab. Boardley had been singing before the impact, according to footage released after the incident. Company officials said he was shaken but avoided serious injury.
The aircraft also hit a light pole along the highway, officials said. The pole then struck a Jeep traveling nearby. Authorities did not immediately release the Jeep driver’s condition. New Jersey State Police said a preliminary review found that the plane’s landing tire and underside struck the pole and the top of the tractor-trailer. It was not immediately clear from public statements whether the plane hit the truck directly first, whether debris caused part of the damage, or how much clearance the aircraft had over the highway.
United said Flight 169 came into contact with a light pole during final approach, then landed safely and taxied to the gate normally. The airline said its maintenance team was inspecting the aircraft and that the crew had been temporarily removed from service during a safety review. The Port Authority said airport crews inspected the runway for debris after the landing. Normal operations resumed quickly, though the incident drew new scrutiny because it happened over one of the busiest highways in the region.
The National Transportation Safety Board classified the event as an accident because of damage to the aircraft. The board directed United to preserve the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, and an investigator was expected at Newark on Monday. Those records can show the jet’s speed, altitude, flight path, cockpit communications and other data from the approach. Investigators also are expected to review video from the truck, airport systems, air traffic control communications, weather conditions and the crew’s actions before landing.
Runway 29 at Newark is known for a demanding approach because it sits near the New Jersey Turnpike and other dense transportation routes. Planes using the runway can appear unusually low to drivers as they cross the highway before touchdown. Aviation experts said the approach leaves little room for error when wind, traffic and runway use require crews to follow a tight path. Officials have not said what caused Sunday’s incident, and investigators have not blamed the crew, the airport, weather or any equipment failure.
H&S Family of Bakeries said the truck was connected to its Baltimore-area operation and was traveling in New Jersey when it was hit. Chuck Paterakis, a company executive, said the outcome could have been far worse and expressed relief that Boardley and others survived without major injuries. The company said it was cooperating with investigators. Photos and video from the scene showed damage to the truck windshield and the light pole area, along with images of the aircraft after it reached the airport.
The incident came as U.S. aviation agencies continue to face public pressure after a series of close calls and safety reviews at airports around the country. Newark, one of the nation’s busiest airports, handles large volumes of domestic and international traffic across tightly managed airspace shared with New York-area airports. Sunday’s collision was unusual because it involved a landing airliner making contact with objects and traffic outside the airport perimeter before reaching the runway.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she was relieved there were no serious injuries. Local officials said the investigation remained active and that no final findings had been released. United did not announce a timeline for returning the aircraft to service. The NTSB typically issues an early factual update before a final report, but the final cause can take much longer to determine.
As of Monday, the plane had landed safely, the truck driver had been released after treatment, and investigators were gathering evidence from the aircraft, the truck and the airport approach path. The next major step is the NTSB’s preliminary report, expected within 30 days.
Author note: Last updated Monday, May 4, 2026.