Copilot of United jet that struck a light pole realized flight was low, but not in time: report

NEW YORK (AP) — The copilot of a United Airlines passenger jet that struck a light pole as landed at Newark Liberty Airport last month recognized the plane was coming in low, but told investigators he didn’t realize it in time to call for an aborted landing, according to a new report Thursday.

The pilot and crewmembers also recalled hearing a loud “thump” and feeling a “mild jolt” just before touchdown, the National Transportation Safety Board stated in its initial report.

The report states the first officer recalled saying “you are still slow and a little low” as the plane descended. He then recalled looking back outside and thinking the plane was low, but just about to touch down.

At the time, law enforcement officials said the plane hit the top of a bakery truck, causing minor injuries to the driver. But Thursday’s report says it was actually debris from the light pole, and not the plane itself, that hit a truck traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike, damaging the windshield and puncturing its trailer.

The report provides the first description of the events from the crew inside the plane, but it doesn’t spell out a specific reason why the plane came in so low, or make recommendations about how to prevent similar incidents. That’s not expected until the NTSB releases its final report, likely sometime next year.

The United Airlines passenger jet was coming in for a landing on May 3 after flying in from Venice, Italy. The Boeing 677 was able to land safely, though it sustained significant damage to its fuselage, according to the NTSB report. None of the more than 200 people aboard the plane were hurt.

Regular drivers on that stretch of Interstate 95 near the Newark airport are likely used to seeing planes coming in low as they cross the highway in preparation for landing.

Dashboard camera video from inside the bakery delivery truck showed the moment of impact.

The driver is seen singing happily to himself, then glancing out his window with a slight look of concern as the sound of the jet’s whining engines begins on the recording. A moment later, part of the plane zooms into view out the driver’s side window.

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said Thursday’s report suggests the captain was challenged by strong winds and a short runway.

The tarmac where the plane landed is the shortest runway at the airport at 6,726 feet (2,050 meters). It is generally only used when there are strong winds like there were that afternoon. An air traffic controller told pilots at the time that the winds were gusting up to 31 mph (50 kph).

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Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska contributed to this story.