Investigators report that the copilot of a United Airlines passenger jet that hit a light pole during landing at a New Jersey airport last month realized the flight was too low only after the decision point to abort had passed. According to a newly released report, the copilot told investigators he did not recognize the need to call for a go-around in time, even though he later identified that the aircraft was coming in low.
The reports also state that the crew heard a loud thump after contact occurred. The incident happened during the landing phase, and the aircraft struck a light pole at the airport. The latest account focuses on timing and recognition of the unstable approach, describing how the copilot’s awareness of the low descent came too late to initiate an aborted landing.
Both outlets describe the same core findings: the aircraft’s low approach was identified by the copilot, but the call to abort the landing was not made before the collision with airport infrastructure.
