Additional Coverage:
- ‘Bloodied and bruised’ United Airlines pilot makes emergency landing as debris smashes through Boeing 737 window (themirror.com)
United Flight Forced to Divert After Unidentified Object Strikes Cockpit Window
Salt Lake City, UT – A United Airlines flight en route from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City on Thursday after an unidentified object struck and damaged the cockpit window. United Flight 1093, a Boeing 737 Max 8 carrying 134 passengers and six crew members, diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) where it landed safely.
According to a United Airlines spokesperson, the incident occurred at an altitude of 36,000 feet. Reports indicate the impact shattered the multi-layered glass, leaving the pilot with minor injuries from flying debris. The airline confirmed that while the windshield sustained damage, it is designed to maintain functionality even if a layer is compromised.
Following the safe landing, passengers were transferred to another aircraft to complete their journey to Los Angeles later the same day. United’s maintenance team is currently working to repair the damaged aircraft.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation. Experts have noted the unlikelihood of the plane encountering objects like hail or birds at such an altitude. While rare, possibilities such as space debris or an electrical malfunction have been suggested, though no definitive cause has been identified.
This incident follows another recent event involving a United flight last month, where a passenger jet overshot the runway during landing at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia amid heavy rainfall. In that instance, the aircraft came to rest in the airport’s Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS), a crushable concrete mechanism designed to safely decelerate aircraft, preventing what authorities described as a potentially devastating disaster.