A United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing last week after its windshield cracked mid-flight—possibly due to a collision with a weather balloon. The incident occurred Thursday during Flight 1093's journey from Denver to Los Angeles, prompting a diversion to Salt Lake City, per the New York Times. The flight, carrying 134 passengers and six crew members, landed safely, with United arranging a replacement plane to finish the trip. NBC News aired photos showing shattered glass in the cockpit and bloodied cuts on a pilot's arm. The airline cited damage to the jet's "multilayered windshield" but did not specify what caused it.
WindBorne Systems, a California company that launches weather balloons for atmospheric data collection, said a review of its data suggests one of its balloons was "quite likely" involved, per the Times. CEO John Dean said the company is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, both of which are investigating. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy alluded to the possible involvement of a weather balloon, noting the situation "could have been really devastating for the aircraft and those on board." WindBorne, which has launched nearly 5,000 balloons in six years, expressed relief that there were no injuries or loss of cabin pressure. It said this would be the first such incident if confirmed, and it's now increasing human oversight of its balloons.