United Airlines flight UA1093, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was forced to divert and land in Salt Lake City, Utah, after an unusual crack was discovered in the cockpit windshield. According to unconfirmed reports, the crack caused a minor injury to one of the pilots and may have been the result of a celestial object from space.
The passenger aircraft had to make an emergency landing last Thursday after the discovery of the crack in the cockpit window at high altitude.
The flight, numbered UA1093, departed from Denver International Airport en route to Los Angeles, carrying 140 passengers and crew members.
The incident occurred when the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was flying at an altitude of 36,000 feet, about 200 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. After detecting the crack, the pilots initially descended to 26,000 feet and later decided to divert and land in Salt Lake City. The plane landed safely on runway 16L, about 50 minutes after the incident began.
Reports indicated that the crack in the windshield was not typical. Unverified images shared on social media showed one pilot’s arm with bruising and bleeding, alongside a windshield that appeared scorched. This led to speculation that the damage may have been caused by a celestial object, such as space debris or a meteor.
United Airlines transferred the passengers to a replacement aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, and they arrived at their final destination in Los Angeles with a delay of about six hours.