Airplane windscreen shatters midflight en route to Los Angeles
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- A United Airlines Boeing 737 windscreen shattered mid-flight Thursday while heading to LAX, injuring the pilot and forcing an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.
- The flight from Denver carried 140 people who were safely diverted near Moab, Utah, then transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue to Los Angeles.
- A weather balloon may have been the cause of the accident, according to a weather balloon company statement.
The pilot of a Boeing 737 headed for Los Angeles had a scary experience last week when the jet’s windscreen cracked midflight, forcing an early landing.
United Airlines confirmed in a statement to The Times that United Flight 1093 from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport landed safely in Salt Lake City on Thursday after the windshield was damaged in the air.
According to photos shared with KTLA-TV, the pilot had a bloodied and cut arm as a result of the incident. There were also photos of the exterior of the plane showing the windscreen shattered.
Passengers were taken the rest of the way to Los Angeles on a different aircraft, according to the United spokesperson. There were 140 people aboard the aircraft, including the crew.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a social media post that the windscreen cracked while the plane was near Moab, Utah.
As part of the investigation into the incident, the agency confirmed that it’s gathering radar, weather and flight recorder data. The windscreen is also being examined by a laboratory.
WindBorne Systems, a weather balloon company, released a statement on Monday night, saying that a 2.4-pound weather balloon may have been the object that cracked the windshield.
The company said it is working with the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation.
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