United plane's window could have been shattered by a meteorite: investigators are considering an unusual version of the incident at an altitude of 11 km
Kyiv • UNN
American investigators are considering a version of a collision with space debris or a meteorite that led to a crack in the windshield of a United Airlines plane. The incident occurred at an altitude of 11 kilometers during a flight from Denver to Los Angeles.
American investigators are investigating an incident involving a United Airlines passenger plane whose windshield cracked during a flight at an altitude of about 11 kilometers. According to preliminary estimates, the cause could have been a collision with space debris or a small meteorite. This is stated in the Business Insider material, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred on Thursday when United Flight 1093 was flying from Denver to Los Angeles. 37 minutes after takeoff, near Moab, Utah, the Boeing 737 Max began to descend, and soon after abruptly changed course and headed to Salt Lake City, where it landed safely.
The US National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is investigating a "windshield crack during cruise flight" and is currently collecting data from radars, weather systems, and flight recorders. The damaged glass was sent to a laboratory for examination.
United Airlines confirmed the damage to the windshield, noting that it is multi-layered and capable of withstanding local impacts without compromising the cabin's integrity. Passengers were transferred to another plane, which arrived in Los Angeles five hours late.
Traces of molten particles were found on the glass surface, indicating possible contact with a meteorite or a fragment of space debris. This became one of the main versions of the investigation.
The damaged aircraft was subsequently transferred to United's technical center in Chicago-Rockford, where specialists are conducting additional checks before returning it to service.