United Airlines pilot injured mid-flight after unidentified object shatters windshield, prompts emergency landing
A United flight made an emergency landing after an object shattered the cockpit glass at 36,000 feet, injuring the pilot.
A United Airlines pilot was injured mid-flight after an unidentified object shattered the windshield of a Boeing 737 cruising at 36,000 feet, forcing an emergency landing. Photos shared online show the pilot with cuts and bruises on both arms, apparently caused by flying glass. The cockpit was covered in shards, and the dashboard showed dark scorch marks near the damaged area.
United Flight 1093, travelling from Denver to Los Angeles, diverted to Salt Lake City on Thursday, where it landed safely. “On Thursday, United flight 1093 landed safely in Salt Lake City to address damage to its multilayered windshield. We arranged for another aircraft to take customers to Los Angeles later that day and our maintenance team is working to return the aircraft to service,” United said.
Aircraft remains grounded and investigation going on
The aircraft remains grounded while the cause of the impact is investigated. Online speculation ranged from a meteor strike to space debris, though experts say that’s unlikely. A 2023 FAA report estimated the odds of space debris seriously injuring someone on a commercial flight at one in a trillion.
Airport officials said a specialised safety system stopped what could have turned into a serious accident. The incident happened around 10 p.m. EST, according to New York Post report.
“The pilot shared on air traffic control that there were no injuries but they were in the EMAS,” said Alexa Briehl, the airport’s PR marketing and media manager.
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She explained that the EMAS, or Engineered Materials Arresting System, is made of crushable concrete designed to slow aircraft that overshoot the runway. “When an aircraft rolls over it, it sinks in and decelerates the aircraft and it's like a runway truck ramp at the end of a runway,” Briehl said.
“At the end of that runway, there’s a ditch, there’s a fence, a ditch, and then a main road called Peters Creek Road,” she added.
Some aviation specialists suggested an electrical malfunction could have caused the crack, but the presence of scorch marks and shattered glass points to an external impact.
The incident is unusual because the 737 MAX 8 was at cruising altitude, where encounters with birds, hail, or other debris are rare. NASA continues to monitor more than 25,000 pieces of orbital debris larger than four inches, adding to safety concerns for aircraft and spacecraft alike.
