United Airlines Flight Diverted After Unusual Mid-Air Impact
A United Airlines flight was compelled to execute an emergency landing last month after a startling mid-air collision with an object, now confirmed by investigators to be a weather balloon. The incident, which occurred on 16 October, involved a Boeing 737-8 en route from Denver to Los Angeles. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has since released its preliminary findings, pinpointing the cause of the dramatic event.
The Moment of Impact Over Utah
According to the NTSB's account, the aircraft's captain noticed a distant object while the plane was in cruise flight near Moab, Utah. Before he could alert the first officer, the object struck the windscreen. The impact resulted in both pilots being showered with pieces of glass from the shattered multilayered windshield. The captain sustained multiple superficial lacerations to his right arm, while the first officer was uninjured. No passengers or other crew members were harmed.
The flight, United 1093, was promptly diverted to Salt Lake City where it landed safely. United Airlines issued a statement at the time confirming the diversion to address the damage. The airline arranged for a replacement aircraft to transport customers to their final destination in Los Angeles later that day.
Identifying the Unidentified Object
The NTSB's investigation identified the object as a global sounding balloon (GSB) operated by WindBorne Systems Inc.. The company reported losing contact with one of its balloons in the vicinity of the aircraft at the time of the incident. WindBorne described its GSB system as comprising a balloon envelope filled with lift gas, an avionics package, and a ballast system for altitude control. The company asserts its balloons are designed with the intent to minimise harm in the event of an impact during flight or landing.
This rare event brings the topic of airspace safety and debris into focus. A 2023 report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously estimated the probability of a piece of space debris fatally damaging an aircraft at one trillion to one. However, the same report anticipated a significant increase in hazardous fragments, projecting that up to 28,000 could survive reentries each year by 2035.
