Sudden 'Bang' Followed by 'Crash'... Object Shatters Cockpit Windshield of Airliner Flying at 11km Altitude

United Airlines Flight from Denver to LA
Emergency Landing After Cockpit Windshield Breaks, Injuring Pilot

An American aircraft made an emergency landing after being struck by an unidentified object, suspected to be space debris, at an altitude of 36,000 feet (10,972 meters).

According to the New York Post on October 19 (local time), United Airlines Flight 1093, which was traveling from Denver to Los Angeles, made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City on October 16. The emergency landing was prompted after the captain was injured when an unidentified object broke through the cockpit windshield of the Boeing 737 at 36,000 feet. Photos posted on social media show the captain's arm with scratches, bleeding, and bruising.

The image shows a pilot with an injured arm caused by an unidentified object that broke through the cockpit windshield and flew inside. Screenshot from social media (SNS).

Meanwhile, there is ongoing debate about what exactly struck the aircraft. The cockpit windshield was both cracked and scorched. Aviation experts noted that while the cracks could be explained by an electrical malfunction, the scorch marks and shattered glass suggest the aircraft may have collided with something, possibly space debris. While it is also possible the plane collided with a bird, hail, or another object, such incidents typically occur at lower altitudes, and the likelihood of such a collision at this high cruising altitude is extremely low.

One-in-a-trillion chance of space debris collision

According to a 2023 report from the Federal Aviation Administration, the probability of space debris causing serious injury to commercial airline passengers is one in a trillion.

United Airlines stated, "On the 16th, United Flight 1093 landed safely in Salt Lake City to repair damage to the multi-layered windshield. Later that day, we arranged another aircraft to continue to Los Angeles, and our maintenance team is currently working to restore the original aircraft to service."

The amount of space debris orbiting Earth continues to increase, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently tracking more than 25,000 pieces of space debris larger than four inches (about 10 centimeters).