Phatbob said:

---

I hope they take care of that guy... it's the yeast they could do.

---

Knowing United, they will issue a hollow apology and offer him 2-600 frequent flier miles.

I am glad the bakery truck driver suffered only minor injuries, but the pilot had to have received multiple warnings that he was too low.

flown-the-coop said:

---

Have I missed whether DEI was involved here?

In all seriousness, any indication as to how far below the glide slope they were? Did United hire the pilots from the Korean airline flight in San Fran? Captain Wei Tuya Lowe or similar?

---

The pilot was 12.5 feet off the ground.

The bakery truck was a dozen feet tall.

You do the math.

TexasRebel said:

---

flown-the-coop said:

---

Have I missed whether DEI was involved here?

In all seriousness, any indication as to how far below the glide slope they were? Did United hire the pilots from the Korean airline flight in San Fran? Captain Wei Tuya Lowe or similar?

---

The pilot was 12.5 feet off the ground.

The bakery truck was a dozen feet tall.

You do the math.

---

my engineering degree is mathing right now...

NM the pole apparently hit a jeep.

Jock 07 said:

---

I thought I had read that the plane clipped the light pole and the pole is what actually hit the truck.

---

that's correct.

The problem is there's no buffer between the road and the runway. And that runway is really short - like 6500 or 7000 feet. For a 767 I think you need something like 6000 feet to land. So they were probably trying to put the plane down as quick as possible and caught a gust of wind at the last second.

Also heard that the pilots and passengers on board had no clue what happened until well after the fact.

there is that scene in office space with the old guy in a neck brace and wheelchair after getting hit by a drunk driver explaining to the main character that good things will happen to him too. Just like it did for him and his giant insurance company payout.

Which reminds me of our driver friend here......

Tramp96 said:

---

aggiehawg said:

---

If one had to drive I-35 in Austin when Mueller was still open, those jets would fly right over the road given the orientation of the runways Was unnerving until one got used to it..

---

One night I was driving back to my apartment in NW Austin on I-35 after an event downtown. I had the window rolled down and traffic was completely stopped due to construction having bottle-necked us down to one lane.

Next thing I know, I'm staring at the engine of an SWA coming in to land. I swear it felt like that thing was about to hit my truck.

---

I did a couple of semesters as a coop student in Austin in '82. A friend used to live just west of 35 under the approach path. We'd lay on the hood of his giant '70s Buick and smoke weed, drink beers and watch planes pass over. I swear I could've thrown a baseball and hit the bottom of one.

Just need a new approach

This plane could have snatched the ball out of your glove.

It's a Wonder no one was hurt.

txags92 said:

---

IIIHorn said:

---

javajaws said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

That flight was bread on arrival.

---

Sounds like the pilot was baked!

---

He's on a roll.

---

But the truck is toast.

---

Probably his fault for loafing around on the road.

Big_Russ said:

---

txags92 said:

---

IIIHorn said:

---

javajaws said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

That flight was bread on arrival.

---

Sounds like the pilot was baked!

---

He's on a roll.

---

But the truck is toast.

---

Probably his fault for loafing around on the road.

---

Loafing? He was slicing his way through the traffic!

As a kid, I remember Dad driving us in to San Antonio and my siblings and I were convinced this was gonna happen to us on 281 next to SAT.

ThunderCougarFalconBird said:

---

Jock 07 said:

---

I thought I had read that the plane clipped the light pole and the pole is what actually hit the truck.

---

that's correct.

The problem is there's no buffer between the road and the runway. And that runway is really short - like 6500 or 7000 feet. For a 767 I think you need something like 6000 feet to land. So they were probably trying to put the plane down as quick as possible and caught a gust of wind at the last second.

Also heard that the pilots and passengers on board had no clue what happened until well after the fact.

---

United plane tire hit the bakery truck. A light pole was also clipped which evidently poked a hole in the plane and the pole hit a jeep.

PigInABlanket said:

---

As a kid, I remember Dad driving us in to San Antonio and my siblings and I were convinced this was gonna happen to us on 281 next to SAT.

---

Username checks out

Quote:

---

Also heard that the pilots and passengers on board had no clue what happened until well after the fact.

---

The lolpoors in the back heard it. The upper crust up front did not.

Aggie Jurist said:

---

Four red lights on the PAPI - Four Red, you're dead.

Now it's Four Red, you hit bread-truck.

---

Red over red, you're bread

Aggie95 said:

---

can't imagine how this was possible....the pilot had to have multiple warnings he was too low.

This same setup exists at the Atlanta airport. I drive by it often and this type of incident never really crossed my mind, unless there was crazy windshear.

---

Maybe he was too high.

My family and I were flying home out of Norfolk and sitting waiting to board our plane. This captain looking dude, 50s or 60s I'd guess came walking toward the desk pulling his little rolling suitcase. Greets the gal behind the desk and then walks up to the door which had a keypad entry lock on it. Pressed the code, wouldn't open. Tried again, same result. Took him 6 or 7 attempts. After he went through, I got to wondering about whether I saw anything unusual in the way he walked. I saw him walking to the gate but didn't stare at him, but didn't recall anything unusual. I was pretty sure he was wearing glasses. When we boarded at the next gate over I glanced in the cockpit to be sure he had not somehow gotten onto our plane lol.

Plenty of unemployed mostly A320 pilots right now that'll gladly get type rated on the 767.-

Flightaware has the length of that runway as 6726 feet. Easterwood's main runway is 7000. I've seen smaller jets use that runway but this was a 767.

The driver is actually French. He is worried about the "pain."

After his lawyers are done with United he will never be kneady again.

Here is a VASAviation video on the incident.

TexasRebel said:

---

flown-the-coop said:

---

Have I missed whether DEI was involved here?

In all seriousness, any indication as to how far below the glide slope they were? Did United hire the pilots from the Korean airline flight in San Fran? Captain Wei Tuya Lowe or similar?

---

The pilot was 12.5 feet off the ground.

The bakery truck was a dozen feet tall.

You do the math.

---

Baker's dozen?

eric76 said:

---

Here is a VASAviation video on the incident.

---

Wow! They didn't even know they hit ANYTHING let alone a truck....

mullokmotx said:

---

Flightaware has the length of that runway as 6726 feet. Easterwood's main runway is 7000. I've seen smaller jets use that runway but this was a 767.

---

AF1 has landed at Easterwood (747). Issue is the approach angle (and that the pilot didn't go around) here I think.

Yeah it’s real https://t.co/26bvypmHXJ

— tylerscott (@tylerscott) May 4, 2026

From pilot forums I've seen this isn't a 'dangerous' approach normally, but a bit tricky and requires attention (not like Kai tek).

javajaws said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

That flight was bread on arrival.

---

Sounds like the pilot was baked!

---

He is definitely toast.

Ok, just now watched the lower half of the video.

That sorry SOB was driving in the left lane and getting passed by cars in the right lane.

So now I am not sad he got hit by a plane. Kharma, man. Kharma.

Fox News put up a tarmac file photo with a Southwest plane front and center when they told this story. I doubt Southwest was happy about that. Initially I thought it was Southwest that hit the truck.

Yeah that's relatively short, moreso for a takeoff, for landing they can stop much shorter once all wheels are on the ground, when needed. Pilot was way too low, below the glide path and didn't need to be contacting the runway that close to the road (which isn't just some random small 2 lane road). They were WELL BELOW the glide path approach, if they were off by "just" 50% at that point then no planes would ever be landing on that cross runway in Newark.

Rocky Rider said:

---

Fox News put up a tarmac file photo with a Southwest plane front and center when they told this story. I doubt Southwest was happy about that. Initially I thought it was Southwest that hit the truck.

---

The one I saw was the SWA flight getting the water cannon salute from the firefighters at the airport signaling a final flight for a retiring pilot. A first officer at SWA arranged it for his Dad whose retirement flight from Spirit was cancelled when they shut down.