More often than not when we see air traffic control interactions where someone loses their patience, it’s the air traffic controller with an attitude, and not the pilot. Here’s a case where a United Airlines captain had an unnecessarily bad attitude, with an ironic twist at the end…
In this post:
United captain insults Newark air traffic controller
YouTube channel You can see ATC has the audio and a visualization of an incident that happened shortly after 12:30PM on April 22, 2026, involving the Newark approach air traffic controller. A United Boeing 787-10 was just wrapping up a transatlantic flight from Brussels (BRU) to Newark (EWR), and was minutes from landing, when the interaction happened.
The Dreamliner was given vectors for the approach, in preparation for intercepting the localizer. Just as the plane passed Teterboro Airport (TEB) and prepared to make its final turn toward Newark, here’s what went down:
United pilot: “United 995.”
Approach controller: “United 995, go ahead.”
United pilot: “Do you wanna give me that intercept?”
Approach controller “I know what I’m doing, just give me about like five more seconds.”
United pilot: “Okay, I’ll take a phone number too when you can.”
Approach controller: “United 985, turn right heading 190 to join, cleared ILS 22L.”
United pilot: “190, cleared 22L, United 995.”
Approach controller: “United 995, reduce speed to 160, hold 160 to five-mile final.”
United pilot: “I thought you know what you are doing? 160 to five, United 995.”
The United pilot was being a complete jerk here:
- If he thought the air traffic controller wasn’t paying attention or giving instructions soon enough, he could’ve asked more politely than he did
- It’s a ridiculous escalation to then immediately ask for a phone number for the manager; while it’s better to talk about this kind of stuff off frequency, this hardly seems like something worth discussing further
- The comment at the end about “I thought you know what you are doing” is completely unnecessary
- It’s likely that the controller had a reason he was waiting to clear the United jet for the ILS, which is that another aircraft was taking off out of Teterboro, immediately beneath the United plane, so he understandably wanted to maintain control of the situation
The pilot was obviously just cranky, but this is where it gets sort of hilarious.
The first officer couldn’t read back basic instructions
As soon as this United jet landed and they were talking to the tower controller, it became clear that the person talking up until that point was the captain, and not the first officer. That’s because captains and first officers alternate which segments they fly, and the pilot not flying is the one on the radios. But captains always taxi the plane, so once on the ground, another voice (the first officer) takes over the radio.
Ironically the captain had been attacking the air traffic controller for not knowing what he was doing, while his own first officer struggled with reading back basic instructions, in a way that’s just painful to listen to:
Tower controller: “United 995 heavy, we’re still waiting on the gate, so you’re gonna go southbound P, then AA, hold short of runway 22R.”
United pilot: “P, hold short 22R, United 995.”
Tower controller: “And just confirm, hold short of 22R at AA, United 995 heavy.”
United pilot: “Affirmative, copy, United 995 heavy.”
Tower controller: “I just need the full read back, United 995, hold short of runway 22R at AA.”
United pilot: “22R at AA, United 995.”
Tower controller: “You just said 22R at AA.”
*no response*
Tower controller: “United 995 heavy, at AA hold short of runway 22R.”
United pilot: “At AA hold short of runway 22R, United 995.”
Unbelievable that it took nine transmissions for that to be cleared up. Huge kudos to the tower controller for maintaining his cool, because I can only imagine how some other controllers would lose their patience. And kudos to him for also insisting on a correct read back. He wasn’t being pedantic — this is the communication we need to prevent misunderstandings, like what we recently saw with Qatar Airways in Houston (IAH).
Also, this first officer really needs some radio training. A student pilot shouldn’t communicate this poorly, let alone the pilot of a heavy aircraft. When the pilot didn’t read the instructions back correctly and the controller made a correction, the pilot’s response was to say “affirmative,” rather than reading it back?! Really?
The fact that after the above interaction the captain still asks the tower controller for the supervisor’s number to complain about unprofessionalism is quite something.
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I can’t help but wonder if the captain was in such a bad mood because he had been paired with that first officer that entire trip, and had just completely run out of patience. Or maybe he’s always just a cranky jerk.
Bottom line
A United Airlines Boeing 787 pilot on approach to Newark felt that the approach controller wasn’t giving him instructions fast enough, so he gave him an attitude. When the controller responded that he knew what he was doing (and all signs point to that being the case), the pilot immediately asked for a phone number to discuss it further and complain. he then later mocked the controller, saying “I thought you know what you are doing?”
Meanwhile his co-pilot couldn’t even read back basic instructions, in what can only be described as a painful interaction. My main takeaway is kudos to the tower controller for his extreme professionalism and patience.
What do you make of this Newark ATC situation?
Atc is 100% wrong as are most of the responses on this thread. Clearly the cranky flyer also has no idea how to fly. 210k vector through the localizer at a huge intercept angle? Whats the turn raddius of a 787 at the speed ? A mile maybe?? ATC has killed a fair amount of people over the past few years. Crew did the right thing.
There are certain situations where information must be repeated exactly as stated. Major props, no pun intended, to the ATC for maintaining his cool with Captain Karen. As a fire dispatcher we had to recieve specific responses regarding downed power lines after a FC lost his life walking into one. I had a stand off of several mins w/an engine FC from another city within our area who refused to simply repeat "Engine 123 acknowledges...
There are certain situations where information must be repeated exactly as stated. Major props, no pun intended, to the ATC for maintaining his cool with Captain Karen. As a fire dispatcher we had to recieve specific responses regarding downed power lines after a FC lost his life walking into one. I had a stand off of several mins w/an engine FC from another city within our area who refused to simply repeat "Engine 123 acknowledges power lines down." He kept saying "Copy" I kept stating "Engine 123 I need you to state verbatim 'Engine 123 acknowledges power lines down.' He tried to get me fired, my BC played the tapes for his BC, my voice stayed calm, never raised during this exchange. He got a written spanking, months later I was awarded dispatcher of the year. It wasn't an aircraft full of people, but both were life/safety issues, why be a jerk?
He knows what he is doing . He is correct .
The controller vectored him through the approach course then made a stupid comment. The captain was right for calling him out. The FO needs improvement
My main take away is these two pilots were way too tired to be flying….
Ya ya the captain sounds like he's not in the best mood, although according to the Youtube comments, the controller did let him fly past the localizer course.
But more importantly - the elephant in the room everyone is too scared to touch with a 10 foot pole - what in the world is happening with that FO? How did he pass the English requirement? That's shockingly bad communication for a widebody pilot on a US major....
The captain was a former ALPA Master Chairman who got lifetime passes for first class travel. He was thrown out of office in disgrace by the pilots.
That’s a lie. Actually a couple lies Tango Idiot.
That reply is total idiocy..
Clowns get paid $50k per year and here you are being one for free.
Your reply is false libel. You are a coward and a liar (but you knew that already).
None of what you claim is true.
You have quite the imagination. UAL management should find who is posting this libel after clearly using company resources to look up the names of the crew.
Eyy, marone... don't mess with Newark... gabagool...
That's not even funny. They're probably not even Italian (or actually Italian-American which has nothing to do with real Italy).
@deltasax (or anyone who remembers OMAAT before the comment section turned into what it is today) — a quick PSA.
A few minutes with your LLM of choice is all it takes to vibe-code a client-side block script. The right tool is a browser userscript: it runs whenever a blog page loads and overwrites comments from anyone on a blocklist you maintain, locally, before you ever see them. On my end, the screeds, pleas for...
@deltasax (or anyone who remembers OMAAT before the comment section turned into what it is today) — a quick PSA.
A few minutes with your LLM of choice is all it takes to vibe-code a client-side block script. The right tool is a browser userscript: it runs whenever a blog page loads and overwrites comments from anyone on a blocklist you maintain, locally, before you ever see them. On my end, the screeds, pleas for mommy's attention, and word graffiti from the usual suspects now just read "Clownhole comment removed."
Install Tampermonkey (Chrome/Edge/Safari) or Violentmonkey (Firefox), paste in the script, and that's it.
Off topic, Lucky, but check this out…
“Humanoid robots to become baggage handlers in Japan airport experiment”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/28/humanoid-robots-baggage-handlers-japan-airports
@lucky; dang why did you have to put the FO on blast? Could it possibly be that the captain might have been riding the FO for the whole trip or that leg and just got him flustered as they swapped controls (if the FO was the PF on that leg)? Yea the FO might have been relatively new or just having a bad day and behind on the situational awareness on the radio calls. Either...
@lucky; dang why did you have to put the FO on blast? Could it possibly be that the captain might have been riding the FO for the whole trip or that leg and just got him flustered as they swapped controls (if the FO was the PF on that leg)? Yea the FO might have been relatively new or just having a bad day and behind on the situational awareness on the radio calls. Either way come on now..
Still I get it, gotta get that engagement/article clicks on your end. Just feels weird to see you post an article like this.
@ Rob -- You're right, it's possible the captain was a jerk the whole trip, and made the first officer uncomfortable. But is that really an excuse to repeatedly not get a basic read back correct? If bad energy in the cockpit can be blamed for that, I'd hate to think what would happen in an actual emergency.
I disagree, Rob. Ben publishes plenty of stupid stuff, for clicks or otherwise. We don’t have to read them, just like no one has to read the stupid comments from a half a dozen of his most moronic followers.
This story was legitimate from every angle. ATC was acceptable enough. UA pilot is clearly a *ick and should be ashamed of himself. The FO seems to need a bit of remedial training.
If I were a UA pilot I would always be cranky for working for an airline that operates out of Newark
@ betterbub -- That is... an excellent point! Well played.