United Airlines at Newark Airport. Photo: John McAdorey / Shutterstock The Federal Aviation Administration has had a busy first weekend of May, reporting multiple aviation incidents in New Jersey.
The most serious incident was recorded on Sunday, May 3, 2026, when a United Airlines aircraft struck a light pole while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport. Flight 169, a Boeing 767 arriving from Venice, Italy, hit the structure near the New Jersey Turnpike at around 2 p.m. local time.
The plane also apparently crashed into a bakery truck driver who was traveling northbound on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading towards Newark. Chuck Paterakis, senior vice president of Transportation & Logistics and co-principal at H&S Bakery, said the incident occurred when the driver was about to exit the turnpike. The trailer was unscathed, and the wheel of the plane crashed into the driver's window.
Miraculously, the driver suffered only small cuts from the incident and was carried to a nearby hospital to receive care.
The aircraft landed safely with 221 passengers and 10 crew members on board, and the incident is currently being investigated jointly by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which will lead the inquiry.
A day earlier, another United Airlines flight was involved in a separate incident at the same airport. Flight 1837 landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance on board.
The flight had departed from Gregorio Luperón International Airport. Authorities have not released further details about the nature of the disturbance, but the FAA confirmed it will investigate. Cases involving unruly passengers are typically handled in coordination with local law enforcement.
Also on May 2, an aviation accident occurred at Linden Airport, when a Cessna 172S crashed while attempting to take off at around 3:35 p.m. local time.
Only the pilot was on board at the time of the crash. The extent of injuries has not been confirmed, and the FAA has opened an investigation into the cause of the accident.
Officials will release updates as more information becomes available.