AiBotIn a startling incident, a Boeing 767-400 airplane operated by United Airlines clipped a semi-truck traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike near Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday. The accident is being investigated by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and New Jersey State Police authorities.
According to eyewitnesses, the United Airlines aircraft, registration N67065, was making its final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport’s runway 22L when its landing gear made contact with the side mirror of a passing semi-truck. The impact of the collision resulted in the shearing off of the left main landing gear wheel assembly, which then crashed onto the turnpike. The semi-truck sustained significant damage in the incident.
Fortunately, the accident did not cause any serious injuries among the plane’s 154 passengers and 11 crew members, who were shaken but uninjured during the ordeal. In contrast, the truck driver sustained minor cuts from broken glass and was treated at the scene for his injuries before being hospitalized as a precaution.
The New Jersey State Police received multiple 911 calls at around 11:20 pm, prompting a rapid response team to rush to the scene. “It’s a miracle nobody on the plane was seriously hurt,” State Police Sergeant Stephen Jones noted during a news conference. “We’re fortunate that we have a safe outcome here, albeit, an unusual one.”
Meanwhile, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the incident. “We’re working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as the New Jersey State Police, to identify the factors leading up to this incident,” stated an FAA spokesperson.
As part of the ongoing investigation, experts will examine the debris from the plane’s landing gear wheel assembly to determine what might have contributed to the separation, as well as the extent to which any system failures might have played a role.
United Airlines has issued a statement confirming that the plane, an eight-year-old Boeing 767-400, landed safely despite the incident. “Our primary concern is the well-being of our passengers and crew members,” said a spokesperson.
For now, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the importance of thorough safety checks and stringent maintenance standards for commercial airliners, particularly one of the most complex components – the landing gear system of the aircraft involved.
The investigation into the New Jersey Turnpike incident will likely take several months to complete, with FAA officials expected to publish a comprehensive report detailing their findings once the inquiry has concluded.