Investigation Summary
During the descent into Newark, the flight crew faced multiple runway changes due to shifting airport arrival patterns, eventually being assigned the RNAV W RWY 29 approach. The captain, acting as the pilot flying, disconnected the autopilot and autothrottles at approximately 880 feet MSL. The approach was conducted in moderate turbulence with wind gusts up to 30 knots. As the aircraft reached short final, the first officer (pilot monitoring) noticed the airspeed decaying and alerted the captain that they were slow and low. The aircraft struck a light pole located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which sits approximately 5 feet higher than the runway elevation. NTSB data indicated the airplane descended 6 feet in a single second just prior to the impact. The collision resulted in three substantial punctures to the left lower aft fuselage and slash marks on a main landing gear tire. On the ground, the light pole debris impacted a Baker's Express tractor-trailer. While the NTSB physical examination recorded punctures in the aluminum siding and impact marks on the forward upper left corner of the trailer, the owner of the trucking company publicly claimed the trailer was not damaged and the bread product inside was untouched.
Final Conclusions
The investigation by the NTSB is ongoing. A preliminary report was updated on June 4, 2026, detailing the flight crew's experience, the sequence of runway changes, and the physical damage to the airframe. The NTSB noted that the New Jersey Turnpike is elevated relative to the runway and that the aircraft's descent rate increased significantly in the final seconds before the strike.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
NTSB Reveals What Really Happened to United 169 — A detailed look at the NTSB preliminary report regarding United Flight 169's impact with a light pole on the NJ Turnpike during approach to Newark.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Hours on type include B757 and B767 combined; 378 hours as captain on type.
First Officer
Relief Officer
Systems & Failure Modes
PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator)
A visual aid providing guidance to maintain the correct glide path. The captain aimed for a '3 red, 1 white' configuration, which is lower than the standard '2 red, 2 white' on-path indication.
RNAV W RWY 29
An area navigation approach providing lateral and vertical guidance to a visual guidance fix, after which the pilot must fly by visual reference.
Interesting Facts
- 01The New Jersey Turnpike is 5 feet higher than the elevation of runway 29.
- 02The aircraft sustained three punctures to the left lower aft fuselage, the largest being 46 inches long.
- 03Runway 29 at EWR does not have a precision ILS; it uses an RNAV approach with visual guidance.
- 04The PAPI lights for runway 29 are located on the right side of the runway, whereas they are normally located on the left.
- 05The captain had 2,724 hours of experience on the B757/B767 types.
Safety Actions & Advisories
United Flight Operations Ops Alert
Reminded pilots that visual glideslope indicators (VGSI) are designed for safe obstruction clearance only within specific parameters and distances.
Pilot Bulletin 26-069
Identified 'ducking under' (shifting aimpoints below electronic/visual glide paths) as a hazard contributing to low approach altitudes and mandated touchdown between 1,000 and 1,500 feet from the threshold.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the entered by an editor.