A routine flight from Denver to Los Angeles took an unexpected turn last week when United Airlines flight 1093 had to make an emergency landing after its cockpit windshield cracked midair. Passengers onboard were shaken as the pilot announced that the aircraft had collided with an unknown object while cruising at 36,000 feet. Now, officials are pointing fingers at a rather unusual suspect…
RELATED: Ryanair Flight Issues “Mayday” Before Emergency Landing As Plane Nearly Runs Out Of Fuel (VIDEO)
United Flight Diverts After Windshield Shatters Midair
The incident occurred on October 16th aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 134 passengers and six crew members onboard. According to United Airlines, the multilayered windshield sustained damage, prompting the pilot to divert and safely land in Salt Lake City. Passengers recalled the tense moment when the pilot first disclosed the window “shattered” before revealing the aircraft had hit an object. However, details remained unclear during the flight.
Weather Balloon Suspected In Midair Windshield Incident
Enter Windborne Systems, a California-based company specializing in smart weather balloons, now suspects that one of its balloons caused the damage. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries or loss of cabin pressure. However, the pilot was treated for minor injuries caused by shattered glass.
Additionally, Heather Ramsey, a college student and passenger on the flight, noticed something was off about 50 minutes in. Before any announcements, she overheard a flight attendant sharply order a colleague to stop service and head to the back.
“And then the pilot came over the intercom and said, ‘Unfortunately, we have some bad news. The aircraft has collided with an object,’” Ramsey revealed. “He didn’t specify what the object was. But, then he informed us that we would have to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.”
Windborne Steps Up Safety Amid Ongoing Investigation
Windborne emphasized that their balloon launches have always been coordinated with the FAA and are designed to minimize risks. On October 20th, the company stated they began investigating the event three days after the flight and shared preliminary findings with officials. While the investigation is ongoing, this event raises new questions about weather balloons and their impact on aviation safety.
“We are working closely with the FAA on this matter. We immediately rolled out changes to minimize time spent between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. These changes are already live with immediate effect. Additionally, we are further accelerating our plans to use live flight data to autonomously avoid planes, even if the planes are at a non-standard altitude. We are also actively working on new hardware designs to further reduce impact force magnitude and concentration,” the company shared in a statement on their website.
