Stephanie Heath
This pilot got quite the shock when an unknown object flew at him and cracked the windshield of the aircraft. Afterward, the United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing.
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The Details: People Magazine shares that “United Airlines flight 1039 from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to divert to Salt Lake City after being damaged.”
- The incident happened on Thursday, October 16.
- The plane’s multilayered windshield cracked after being struck by an unknown object while at 36,000 feet in the air.
- The United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing. Additionally, the pilot of the aircraft was treated for minor injuries.
An Unknown Object Cracked The Windshield Of A Plane
While cruising at 36,000 feet in the air, this United Airlines flight was en route to Los Angeles. However, everything changed when an unknown object came hurtling towards the windshield. ABC News reported that the object struck the windshield and caused it to crack, injuring the pilot.
While it was initially unknown, WindBorne Systems released a statement acknowledging that it may have been one of their weather balloons that struck the plane. The following is a segment of their statement.
- “On Thursday, 16 October, Foreign Object Debris (FOD) struck the windshield of UA1093, a 737 MAX aircraft, at approximately 36,000 ft. WindBorne began investigating this incident at 11 pm on Sunday, 19 October, and we believe that the FOD was likely a WindBorne balloon.”
Furthermore, they shared that they are working closely with the FAA on the matter. Also, they are implementing changes to prevent this sort of accident in the future.
United Airlines Flight Forced To Make An Emergency Landing
After the object cracked the windshield, the United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing. The pilot diverted the flight to Salt Lake City and landed the plane safely. After landing, the pilot was treated for the minor injuries sustained during the incident.
One passenger spoke to ABC News, recalling the moment the pilot explained the situation. She claimed that this was their announcement.
- “The aircraft has collided with an object, and a window in the cockpit has shattered, so we need to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.”
The aircraft remained in Salt Lake City for three days before it was taken to Chicago Rockford International Airport for repairs.
