United Airlines Plane Clips Truck During Newark Landing

A United Airlines Boeing 767 arriving from Venice, Italy, clipped a truck and knocked over a streetlight while descending into Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday. The truck driver suffered minor injuries from glass shards embedded in his arm and hand.

The aircraft, carrying 231 passengers and crew, touched down safely with no injuries reported among those on board. Dash camera footage from the truck captures the moment of impact, with audio picking up the low-flying plane before a thunderous crack of collision sends glass exploding across the cabin.

According to the truck driver’s employer, one of the plane’s tires punched directly through the vehicle’s windscreen and side window. The driver was treated at the scene for lacerations sustained during the strike.

United Airlines released a statement confirming it would launch “a rigorous flight safety investigation” into the incident. The airline noted its crew has been removed from flight duty pending the outcome. The carrier’s maintenance team began evaluating damage to the aircraft immediately after landing.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill expressed relief that “the aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew are unharmed,” acknowledging the severity of what could have been a catastrophic scenario.

The National Transportation Safety Board responded by dispatching an investigator to Newark. The agency has ordered United Airlines to surrender the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder for examination. These devices typically contain crucial information about crew communications and aircraft performance leading up to the incident.

The truck was operating on a road adjacent to one of the airport’s active runways when struck. Questions remain about how a commercial aircraft came into contact with ground-level traffic during approach. The investigation will examine whether proper clearance protocols were followed and what factors contributed to the plane’s trajectory.