United Airlines Boeing 767 Nearly Collides with Bread Truck on NJ Turnpike: NTSB Investigates

A United Airlines flight from Venice narrowly avoided a catastrophic collision with a tractor trailer carrying bread on the New Jersey Turnpike on Sunday afternoon. The Boeing 767-400 struck a light pole and grazed the top of the truck’s trailer before landing safely at Newark Liberty International Airport.

According to the New Jersey State Police’s preliminary investigation, both a landing tire and the underside of United Flight 169 made contact with the truck’s trailer. Photos obtained by WNBC show visible damage to the aircraft, including a gash in its body and scuffs along a tire’s sidewall. The fallen light pole also struck a Jeep traveling on the turnpike.

Dashcam footage from the truck captures the harrowing moment. The driver looks up as the plane’s landing gear passes overhead, followed by a loud crash and the camera falling to the ground. The driver suffered minor injuries, including cuts from shattered glass, and was able to pull over to receive medical attention.

All 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board the flight exited the aircraft unharmed. The plane, a Boeing 767-400, sustained only minor damage. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting separate investigations to determine the cause of the incident.

The truck was operated by Baker’s Express, transporting baked goods for the H S Family of Bakeries. Company owner Chuck Paterakis initially stated that “the trailer is not damaged, and the bread product was not touched.” However, given the apparent force of the collision, the truck’s condition remains a point of scrutiny.

United Airlines issued a statement confirming the incident:

“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 NTSB has not yet released a timeline for the completion of its investigation.