United Flight 169 Hits NJ Turnpike Pole. NTSB Launches Investigation

Federal authorities are investigating after United Flight 169 struck a light pole and a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike during landing.

The 221 passengers aboard, descending over New Jersey after an 8.5-hour journey from Venice, Italy, felt like a routine landing. For them, it was like any other flight. For onlookers, it was hard to believe their eyes. 

The investigators are trying to get their heads around how a Boeing 767 could strike a pole on a crowded freeway and how pilots could miss the aircraft's firsthand impact.

The aircraft landed smoothly and taxied to the gate. Controllers discovered the damage (a hole in the fuselage) 30 minutes after the actual incident. By then, all passengers and 10 crew members left the aircraft safely.

The truck driver, Warren Boardley, was not as fortunate as they were. He got injured, rushed to the hospital, and was later declared safe.

The Investigation

The NTSB has asked United Airlines to submit the flight data recorders. The preliminary report will be out within 30 days. United has also announced that they'll conduct a rigorous safety investigation. The crew has been suspended from service as part of the routine investigation. 

Perhaps the most alarming point: the air traffic controller and pilots were completely unaware that the plane had struck a light pole upon landing and were inches away from a possible disaster. As things went ahead and the 767 landed, the instructions were passed out to taxi it to the gate. And, on the same runway, there were other aircraft landing at the same time.

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