First Officer's Warnings Ignored as United 767 Struck Pole on Newark Approach
The NTSB's preliminary report on United Flight 169, a B767-400ER from Venice, shows the crew landed too low on Runway 29 at Newark, with four red PAPI cues starting at about 4,500 ft and the FO warning twice that they were slow and low; the captain, who turned off autopilot near 900 ft, did not initiate a go-around, and the airplane struck a light pole that hit a bakery truck on the Turnpike. No mechanical issues were found; the cause remains under investigation, but the report highlights possible factors like get-there-itis and crew deference to the captain and the need for stable-approach callouts.