Boeing 737 windshield shatters midair — pilot injured as glass tears skin; here’s what happened next
A United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Denver to Los Angeles was diverted to Salt Lake City after its windshield cracked midair. A total of 140 passengers and crew members were onboard when this happened.
LOS Angeles-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Denver is making headlines after its windshield cracked midair.
Following the mishap, the United Airlines flight was diverted to Salt Lake City, aviationa2z.co reported. The shocking incident on the aircraft, bearing flight number UA1093, was reported on Thursday, October 16.
As per the report, a total of 140 passengers and crew were onboard the aircraft, registered as N17327, when the tragic incident occurred, leaving the pilot injured.
Before safely landing at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), the aircraft descended by almost 100 feet, from 36,000 to 26,000 feet, media reports suggest. Meanwhile, the passengers endured a six-hour delay to complete their journey to Los Angeles on a replacement Boeing 737 MAX 9.
Indicating a high-energy impact, images shared online by JonNYC show bruising on the pilot’s arm in addition to scorch marks on the windshield. Following the much greater than a simple structural crack, the pilots promptly followed the protocol of emergency situations before diverting to the nearest suitable airport. The pilots initiated a 26,000-foot descent before landing safely on runway 16L.
Mishap cause — 'Space debris or meteorite'?
Based on the scorch patterns and impact marks, the cause of the impact is speculated to be space debris or a small meteorite, according to aviation enthusiasts, aviationa2z.com reported.
It is important to note that the aircraft's windshields are specially designed to remain unaffected by bird strikes and pressure changes. However, the bodies of aircraft cannot withstand the impacts from high-speed debris traveling at orbital velocities.
United Airlines plane clips tail of another aircraft
In an unrelated incident involving a United Airlines aircraft, a plane heading for its gate collided with another plane at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. In the incident, the first plane clipped the tail of another United aircraft. The incident occurred on October 18, Saturday, authorities informed AP.
The airline officials in a statement said that no one was hurt in Friday's incident, and the 113 passengers on Flight 2652 from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, were able to leave the plane normally after a delay. According to officials, the second plane had its horizontal stabilizer struck and was not moving when the planes collided.
However, a passenger named Bill Marcus onboard the plane that rammed into another plane, informed CBS News Chicago that he didn't even realise anything had happened until the pilot said there would be a delay to document something. Suggesting that it took about 40 extra minutes for the plane to get to the gate, he became aware of an issue when he saw many people gathered around the right wing.
Related Stories
Lucky escape for passengers! Air China flight diverted to Shanghai after battery in luggage catches fire - watch video
2 min read
18 Oct 2025
CCTV footage shows moment Beechcraft King Air C90 crashes into Texas truck lot, erupts in flames, killing 2
1 min read
16 Oct 2025
The America v China spat reveals a dangerous dynamic
3 min read
16 Oct 2025
“I was shocked that I didn't feel something more, although when they separated the planes there was some shuddering,” CBS News Chicago quoted the passenger as saying.
