What happened
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the May 3, 2026, incident where a United Airlines Boeing 767-400ER struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike while landing on runway 29 at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The flight originated from Venice (VCE). The aircraft came in lower than intended, striking a light pole which then hit a truck on the turnpike. The NTSB report notes that the captain, who was flying, had indicated an intention to fly a 'three reds, one white' PAPI light profile (slightly low) due to the short runway length. However, data showed the plane was flying 'four reds' (too low) from 4,500 feet. The first officer called out that the plane was 'slow' and 'a little low' at 500 feet. The captain claimed he saw they were low but did not have time to verbalize a go-around callout before touchdown. The captain had turned off autopilot at 900 feet and adjusted power for gusty winds. The report attributes the incident to pilots not following best practices and failing to execute a go-around when the approach was not stable