A United Airlines passenger jet clipped a tractor-trailer while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, newly released video confirms, raising fresh questions about aviation safety as travelers head into the busy summer season.
The footage shows United Flight 627 from Tampa descending dangerously low on its approach to Runway 4R, striking the top of a semi-truck traveling on nearby Route 1-9 before touching down on the tarmac. The Boeing 737 was carrying 167 passengers and six crew members.
The truck driver, whose name has not been released, sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene. No passengers aboard the aircraft were injured, though several told local reporters they felt a “bump” during landing that flight attendants initially attributed to rough weather.
United issued a statement saying the aircraft “made contact with a vehicle on an adjacent roadway during landing” and that the plane was taken out of service for inspection. The airline did not address why the jet was flying low enough to strike a vehicle on a public highway running parallel to the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation. The incident comes as the FAA faces mounting criticism over near-miss events at major U.S. airports, with at least eight serious runway incursions reported in the past 14 months.
Aviation experts say the video raises immediate concerns about approach procedures at Newark, one of the nation’s busiest airports. The flight path for Runway 4R takes aircraft over Route 1-9, but planes should clear the roadway by a significant margin.
“There’s no scenario where a properly executed approach should result in contact with ground vehicles,” said former FAA inspector Michael Daniels, who reviewed the footage. “This suggests either a serious pilot error, a problem with the glide slope guidance system, or both.”
The truck’s owner, a New Jersey-based logistics company, declined to comment pending the investigation. Video shows the impact tore off part of the trailer’s roof and damaged the plane’s landing gear assembly.
United has not said whether the pilots involved remain on active duty. The airline flies more than 4,500 flights daily and has faced scrutiny this year over maintenance issues, including a March incident where an engine panel fell from a 777 shortly after takeoff from San Francisco.
The FAA investigation typically takes several months. For now, travelers using Newark—which handles more than 46 million passengers annually—are left wondering how a fully loaded jetliner came within feet of a highway collision.
Key Points
- United Flight 627 from Tampa hit a tractor-trailer on Route 1-9 while landing at Newark with 173 people aboard
- The truck driver suffered minor injuries; passengers felt the impact but were not told what happened
- The incident adds to growing concerns about aviation safety after multiple near-miss events at major U.S. airports over the past year
Source: https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/us-news/new-video-shows-united-plane-clipping-truck-at-newark-airport/ – May 05, 2026
