United flight clips light pole while landing at New Jersey airport

Updated May 3, 2026, 8:05 p.m. ETA United Airlines flight struck a light pole on a New Jersey highway while landing at Newark Liberty Airport on Sunday, May 3, damaging a tractor-trailer and injuring its driver, the airline company and officials said.The incident occurred about 2 p.m. ET when United Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, struck a light pole while passing over southbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike. The plane — with 221 passengers and 10 crew members aboard — went on to land safely, and no passengers were injured, the airline said in a statement.The driver of a tractor-trailer that was damaged in the incident was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries and has since been released, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated in an email response to inquiries from The Bergen Record, part of the USA TODAY Network.Minor damage to the aircraft was observed, the Port Authority said, adding that "Airport staff inspected the runway for debris and normal operations were quickly resumed."United Airlines said its maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft. The airline said it will conduct a "rigorous flight safety investigation into the incident," and that the