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Copilot of United Jet that Struck a Light Pole Realized Flight Was Low, but Not in Time: Report
Investigators said the copilot knew the jet was low, but the crew could not call for a go-around before the light pole strike.
On May 3, United Flight 169 from Venice, Italy, struck a light pole while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, damaging a tractor-trailer truck on the adjacent New Jersey Turnpike.
A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday indicates the captain flew the Boeing 767 too low and slow during the approach, striking the pole at 19 feet above the highway.
The impact caused substantial fuselage damage, yet none of the 231 people aboard the jet were injured; debris from the struck pole damaged a truck, causing minor injuries to the driver.
United Airlines reminded pilots landing at Newark to use visual glideslope indicators to ensure safe obstruction clearances; the airline told NPR it has "nothing to share" regarding the captain's current flight status.
The NTSB continues investigating why the aircraft descended below the normal glide path for the final three-quarters of a mile, with a final report expected sometime next year.