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United 737 Diverts After Cockpit Windshield Strike at Cruise Altitude as NTSB Probes Possible Balloon Hit

WindBorne now points to one of its weather balloons as the likely object, prompting immediate changes to reduce balloon time in airline cruise airspace.

Overview

  • United flight UA1093 from Denver to Los Angeles diverted to Salt Lake City after an impact cracked one windshield layer and injured the first officer with minor cuts.
  • The Boeing 737 MAX 8 landed safely with 134 passengers and six crew, and the multilayer cockpit window design prevented loss of cabin pressure.
  • The NTSB is analyzing the damaged windshield in its laboratories and reviewing radar, meteorological, and flight data, with a preliminary report expected in the coming weeks.
  • WindBorne says it shared a preliminary internal investigation with the NTSB and FAA and is accelerating real-time tracking and hardware updates to lessen impact forces.
  • United ferried the aircraft to its 737 maintenance base in Rockford, Illinois, and early meteorite or space-debris theories were deemed unlikely given the limited structural damage.