By Agency Reports
A United Airlines pilot was injured and forced to make an emergency landing after a mysterious object struck the windshield of a Boeing 737 at an altitude of 36,000 feet.
According to reports, photos circulating online show the pilot’s arms covered in cuts and bruises, apparently caused by shattered glass. Images from inside the cockpit also reveal broken glass scattered across the dashboard and what appear to be scorch marks at the point of impact.
United Flight 1093, which departed from Denver and was bound for Los Angeles, made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City on Thursday after the midair incident.
Some observers online have speculated that the object could have been space debris or even a small meteor. However, experts say that while electrical malfunctions can cause windshield cracks, the scorch marks suggest that the aircraft might have been struck by an external object.
Bird and hail strikes typically occur at much lower altitudes, making this incident unusual. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying at cruising height — well above the zone where such collisions commonly happen.
“The aircraft landed safely in Salt Lake City to address damage to its multilayered windshield. We arranged for another plane to take customers to Los Angeles later that day, and our maintenance team is working to return the aircraft to service,” United Airlines said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that the chances of space debris causing serious injury to a commercial aircraft passenger are one in a trillion.
The plane remains grounded in Salt Lake City pending further investigation.
@New York Post.