NOT SO UFO

Mystery of United Airlines’s Shattered Windscreen at 36,000 Feet Solved

The aircraft’s cockpit windshield was shattered by a weather balloon.

Pilots injured when a cockpit windshield shattered in mid-air have been told what caused the scary hit at 36,000 feet. The United Airlines flight made an emergency landing after being struck by a mystery object over Utah, showering both pilots in glass and causing one to suffer lacerations on his arm. Now, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded the plane was hit by a long-duration, high-altitude weather balloon that took off the previous day from Spokane, Washington. The incident “could have been really devastating for the aircraft and those on board,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. Flight 1093, from Denver to Los Angeles, with 112 passengers and crew, made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City. The captain said he noticed a distant object on the horizon, initially thought to be space debris, but before he could mention it to the co-pilot, it struck the glass with a loud bang. Weather balloon company WindBorne said it has “implemented four additional safety measures to further reduce the possibility of any future aircraft-balloon interactions.”