In a heart-stopping incident, the landing gear of United Airlines Flight 1232 struck a delivery truck and a highway light pole on the bustling New Jersey Turnpike, just seconds from touchdown at Newark Liberty International Airport. Shocking video footage captures the low-flying Boeing 737's wheel shearing off part of the truck's roof, sending debris flying across lanes packed with rush-hour traffic. The plane, carrying 224 passengers and crew, touched down safely despite the collision, with emergency crews rushing to the tarmac.
Eyewitnesses described chaos on the highway below, where drivers slammed brakes to avoid flying metal. The truck driver, pinned briefly in the cab, was extricated with minor cuts, while the aircraft sustained damage to its undercarriage. United Airlines grounded the jet for inspection, praising the pilot's 'textbook emergency handling' that averted disaster.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a probe, focusing on air traffic control clearances and the truck's highway presence during peak landing hours. Aviation experts call it a freak alignment of errors, but one that exposes vulnerabilities in airspace overlapping busy interstates. Commuters recount the terror of looking up to see a jetliner bearing down.
As investigations unfold, Newark Airport reports minimal disruptions, but the close call reignites debates over urban flight paths. United vows full cooperation, while victims of the ground collision demand answers on liability.