The driver of the tractor-trailer sustained "non-life-threatening injuries" and was taken to a local hospital, and the plane's 221 passengers and 10 crew members were uninjured
Credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A United Airlines flight struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike as it was coming in for a landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday, May 3
- The airline said that a landing tire and the underside of the plane collided with a pole and a tractor-trailer; the pole then struck a Jeep traveling on the turnpike
- The driver of the tractor-trailer sustained “non-life-threatening injuries” and was taken to a local hospital, and the plane’s 221 passengers and 10 crew members were uninjured
A United Airlines flight struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike as it was coming in for a landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, damaging a tractor-trailer and sending its driver to the hospital.
United told PEOPLE in a statement that the incident happened on Sunday, May 3, when a Boeing 767-400 coming from Venice, Italy, was approaching the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The airline said that a landing tire and the underside of the plane collided with a pole and a tractor-trailer. The pole then struck a Jeep traveling on the turnpike.
The aircraft eventually landed safely, sustaining some minor damage and arriving at the gate normally. United said there were 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board, and no injuries were reported among those on the plane.
The driver of the tractor-trailer sustained "non-life-threatening injuries" and was taken to a local hospital, United said.
Credit: Gary Hershorn/Getty
"Our maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft," United said. "We will conduct a rigorous flight safety investigation into the incident, and our crew has been removed from service as part of the process."
The New Jersey State Police and Port Authority Police Department responded to the scene, according to CBS News and ABC 7 NY.
Airport officials conducted inspections immediately following the incident, and normal operations at Newark were quickly resumed, the outlets reported.
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Chuck Paterakis, vice president of transportation for Schmidt Bakery and owner of H&S Family of Bakeries, told ABC 7 NY that the tractor-trailer involved in the incident belonged to Baker's Express and was en route to deliver bread products to a Newark airport depot.
The driver, Warren Boardley of Baltimore, was traveling northbound on the turnpike at the time of the incident. Paterakis said Boardley was able to safely pull over after the collision, and he sustained cuts from broken glass to his arm and forearm.
"Everybody, the driver and everybody on the plane, should be very fortunate," Paterakis told the outlet. "Because it could have been the opposite of what happened, and a little help from God went a long way tonight for everybody on the plane, and including the driver."
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, the outlets reported.
"I'm grateful the aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew are unharmed," New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill wrote in part on social media. "United is investigating how this occurred."
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