United struck a light pole
 

https://x.com/aviationbrk/status/205...tOrnMdFOUu0MqA

It reminds me of a pilot at EWR when I was just starting out who had the habit of always flying the approach with four red lights.

Hmmm…at least he didn’t land on the taxiway ? (Assuming this was 29. Quite breezy out today).

That whole RNAV W to 29 is a goat rope. Was a matter of time. Short runway, no electronic glide slope and the NJ turnpike literally 100 feet from the threshold. What could possibly go wrong?!?

Not just a light pole, they hit a truck on the road too.

Video:
https://x.com/airplusnews/status/2051053703914836231

Or just a bad pilot dipping below GS

The new 737 FM specifically removed the guidance to go three red one white on a short field landing and its about time. I wonder how many guys will go "nope, im still doing three red one white!". Land in the touchdown zone with brakes MAX, morons...you will be fine.

there is no GS per se on 29 but I know what you mean

“Upon its final approach into Newark International Airport, United flight 169 came into contact with a light pole. The aircraft landed safely, taxied to the gate normally and no passengers or crew were injured. Our maintenance team is evaluating damage to the aircraft and we will investigate how this occurred”

They are using that term rather loosely.

landed just after them. Heard an ops vehicle, looking for Fod on the runway. They said they heard a bang and now there’s a hole in the airplane. Tower thought it was because of Fod on the runway. Just gusty winds landing 29.

💯

There’s way too much pushing the envelope these days. DCA comes to mind too.

Our SOP still allows Medium Rare for short fields, I'm good with it.

I don't like 4 red because you don't know if you're at 4 red or 7 red.

I think we can agree 4 red is pretty dumb.

What in the DEi is going on.....

Maybe less emphasis on gender and sexual orientation and more emphasis on flying the airplane...

The whole RWY 29 is one forking GOAT ROPE! I actually prefer doing it in a 777 but the 737-900 it can get rather sporty! Heck I remember in the old J-32 that whole RWY 29 was also a goat rope! Can't believe after 30+ years they can fix it and make it a straight in ILS. No defended anyone who ducked in and hit a light pole but this was so predictable and surprising its never happened before......

True. How many people actually read the chart notes where it says glidepath and VGSI not coincident, PAPI crosses 70 ft above threshold.

I brief it. It’s important for some places like Vegas. Some people try to keep 2 white and 2 red and cross the threshold high. Stay on the ILS GS itself, and you’re fine. We say 3 red 1 white as medium rare, but for every approach with that not coincident note, you’re actually coming in 50 ft above the threshold.

81-90% of airline pilots are white, a career field dominated historically from literally its entire existence. Where did minorities hurt you?


What an embarrassment blaming “DEI”

What a DB. Fyi, I had no problem making up my PS in January…

The fix to get a straight-in approach to 29 at EWR is to close LGA. Not happening. If you let the autopilot fly the RNP approach it will take you to 500 feet, runway heading, on the glidepath, that should be good enough.

In almost three decades inside lots of aircraft I've had more issues with white males than 'DEI' pilots, by sheer number or percentage, with ex-Navy rotor being at the absolute very top of the scare the frosting sauce out of me. Your comment is ignorant and I doubt based in any fact or statistic.

speed tape… no problem.

Days of yore involved more manual flying during departures and approaches because we did not have GPS, RNAV/RNG assisted procedures. I mean that CIVET Arrival into LAX, before all the fancy automation? With all those crossing restrictions and math calculations?

The came along the 75/76 with the Honeywell FMS… I cut my teeth on the automation of the 73 with the Smiths FMC.

Flying skills, ADM, Threat Assessment & Risk Mitigation and CRM are included factors affecting the outcome of this accident. No blame or judgement until all the facts are analyzed. Who knows… was there WINDHEAR?

First of all… great to hear no fatalities or injuries, except to the jet. A lesson learned, not only for UAL, but for every aviator worldwide, regardless of the size of their aircraft. Adhere to the OEMs’ performance, flying techniques, and limitations.

Practicing shorter landing techniques in the simulator, especially at home base airport. Understanding performance numbers from the AFM factoring head/tailwind wind components with various runway conditions.

Question. Is it UALs SOP that circling in maneuvers are captain’s only? Some airports with close in circling maneuvers require special training and checking? It will be interesting to see what the root cause of this accident.

A large number of carriers, especially overseas carriers, require the use of automation to be switched on by a certain altitude… or expect a call from the CP. US is a bit more liberal than foreign carriers with the use of automation outside of busy TMAs at the discretion of the crew.

Oh man, bringing back a classic, was it “Captain Zulu” he was called?

The rationale/excuses when DAL did it in ATL were amazing.

Imagine just being a pilot, able to do pilot-y stuff and fly a plane….

There ACTUALLY were injuries to a CDL driver… driving a Bakery truck. I’m not sure why that was not reported initially.
The only reason runway 29 is ever in use is because the gusty northwesterly winds usually make the 4L/22R exceed crosswind limitations, so you are never doing this on a calm day.
The runway is still 6,725 and not getting longer……and we aren’t getting lighter.
No precision approach.

Does a 767-400 landing on 6725 feet seem like it has no association of threats?

I agree with others, we have normalized an approach with a lot of associated threats and heightened risks, with basically the resigned sarcastic “Well it’s Newark right, guess you gotta be a pilot.” This was bound to happen eventually.

Shades of DCA Helicopter indeed.

It seems like the racists and sexists come scurrying out of their holes after every accident these days. Pretty pathetic, IMO.

Not on the RNAV W, which I believe is what they were using that day. Autopilot must be off by 50’ below MDA (guppy fleet) which in this case is 830’ and that’s on a base leg. Hand flying on the PAPI from there.

I’d guess it depends.

Granted, LGA Is a few hundred feet longer, L-1011’s and 76-4’s went in there daily without hitting light poles.

Really, wow. That's high (not that it makes it much harder). Maybe it's just the Airbus, but landing on 29 never seemed to be that big of a deal and both the RNAV overlays for the visual and now the RNAV W have sure made it easier. I do think there is a psychological effect caused by it only being 6700' that makes people want to shift to a shorter aimpoint on final, ignoring that in recent years we are typically only landing there with a significant headwind.

I fear are going to stop rolling 7's at UA. We've been seriously lucky.

How does 29 not have a displaced threshold???

Muffin man departed the hospital with minor injuries. Pedestrians claim he was later seen dancing all the way to the bank, because he’s about to get PAID. 💰💰💰💰

Displaced into what? I-95?

You should think about what you wrote…maybe look at the displaced thresholds on 22 for reference?

We never hit light poles until we hit one…..

I know nothing of highway light specifications…but I’m gonna guess they haven’t gotten shorter.
Agree that thousands of successful approaches every year are accomplished and this is rare……but were you suprised?

The response of this can’t just be “Well I guess you just gottta be a pilot”

I know exactly what I wrote. I was being facetious. How are you going to displace a 6700ft runway. It would make it almost unusable to air carriers.

That would be the point. 6000’ is still plenty for a narrow body…FedEx operates into BUR daily.

I hate the 29/11 approaches. I'm not a Texan but when I pull out my cowboy hat and start saying "let's do some of this pilot stuff" or "Yee Haw!" the threats are very real.

The only real solution is burying the I-95 and US-9. Unfortunately it's NJ so even the federal government can't afford the graft on a project of that magnitude.

There we go. That's the answer. Let's take a challenging short runway that we already fvk up landings and make it shorter. 👍

If you look at the airport diagram, RW29 is displaced by maybe 200 feet max.

Yeah I flew the Bus for 8 years and 29 was a “non-event” really. The guppy with its 2-axis autopilot is pathetic really.

Or you know, you could just fly the jet. Almost like we get paid to know how to do this without FiFi holding your hand or doing it for you.