Investigation Reveals United Pilot Aware of Low Altitude Before Incident

Federal investigators reported that the captain of United Airlines Flight 169, which struck a light pole while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 3, was alerted about flying too low. The flight was arriving from Venice, Italy, when the first officer warned the captain that the Boeing 767 was 'a little low' on approach, just 19 feet above the New Jersey Turnpike before touchdown. The first officer also noted that the aircraft was 'slow' during descent. Although the captain acknowledged feeling low, he did not have time to initiate another approach before landing. The plane hit a light pole adjacent to the runway, but no injuries were reported among the 200 passengers and 11 crew members. A tractor-trailer was also involved, with minor injuries reported for the driver, although the NTSB clarified that the plane did not strike the truck; debris from the light pole did. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as 'unacceptable' and emphasized the importance of learning from such events to maintain safety in air travel.