A United Airlines pilot reported hearing a thump before landing at Newark Liberty International Airport last month, unaware that the plane had clipped a light pole causing it to fall onto a tractor-trailer, injuring the driver. This information comes from a National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday.
The investigation found that the Boeing 767, carrying 220 passengers from Venice, had to adjust its route to land into the wind on a runway starting west of the New Jersey Turnpike. The co-pilot had warned the pilot about the plane being slow and a bit low as they descended. The light pole, struck by the plane, was located along the southbound side of the turnpike.
Though none of the passengers or the 11 crew members on board were injured, the plane suffered significant damage. The report detailed three punctures to the fuselage, one nearly four feet long, and slash marks on a landing gear tire on the left side.
The tractor-trailer, carrying bread and rolls, had large holes in its windshield and a major puncture in its trailer. Investigators noted there were no tire marks on either the tractor cab or trailer.
The truck driver, Warren Boardley, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized but later released. Attempts to contact Mr. Boardley’s employer, Northeast Foods in Baltimore, for comments were unsuccessful. Similarly, a Baltimore lawyer representing Mr. Boardley, J. Wyndal Gordon, did not respond to inquiries.
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