Staff Reports
A United Airlines Boeing 767-400 clipped a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike as it came in to land at Newark Liberty International Airport. Dashcam video from inside the truck shows the plane’s wheel striking the cab and sending glass flying. Miraculously, no one on the plane was hurt and the truck driver suffered only minor cuts. This close call is a reminder that “miracles” are not a plan for safety.
Dashcam Shows Harrowing Impact
The video is as simple as it is chilling: a man driving his bakery truck, singing along, hears the plane grow louder and looks up just before a wheel smashes into his window. The aircraft continued its approach and landed safely on Runway 29, which runs perpendicular to the New Jersey Turnpike and forces jets to fly low over traffic. United says its maintenance team is checking the plane and the airline will investigate how this happened. Meanwhile, the bakery company reports the driver was treated and released.
Why This Should Scare You: Aviation Safety and Urban Planning
Let’s not put this in the “freak accident” folder and walk away. Having large passenger jets pass low over a major interstate is not new, but close calls like this are. When a 767 can clip a delivery truck, we’re talking about system design, not luck. Who decided that public highways should sit directly under final approach paths without stronger physical protections or traffic restrictions? That’s a planning and regulatory failure, plain and simple.
Who’s Accountable — And What Must Be Done
The airport authority, the FAA, and United Airlines all need to show their homework. The FAA should explain approach minima and why vehicles were allowed where the plane made contact. Newark Liberty and state transportation officials need to review whether barriers, vehicle reroutes, or clear exclusion zones can stop a truck from being a target for an errant gear. And United needs to be transparent about any damage and the steps it will take to prevent a repeat. Investigations aren’t consolation prizes — they should produce fixes.
This was a near-tragedy that ended well by luck, not design. If Americans are going to keep trusting airports and airlines to move them safely, regulators and operators must act like safety is more than a press release. Demand answers. Demand changes. Miracles are great for movie endings, not for runway safety.
