A United Airlines pilot sustained injuries after an unidentified object struck the cockpit windshield of flight 1093 at 36,000 feet on Thursday, forcing a diversion to Salt Lake City. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely, and passengers were transferred to another plane to complete their journey to Los Angeles.
The incident highlights the increasing threat posed by orbital debris to commercial aviation. While the object remains unidentified, the event underscores the growing volume of space junk circling Earth-currently tracked at over 25,000 pieces larger than 4 inches by NASA-and the potential for collisions with aircraft. The damaged plane remains grounded in Salt Lake City as a maintenance team assesses the extent of the damage.
“On Thursday, United flight 1093 landed safely in Salt lake City to address damage to its multilayered windshield,” a United Airlines spokesperson stated. “We arranged for another aircraft to take customers to Los Angeles later that day and our maintenance team is working to return the aircraft to service.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the incident. NASA currently tracks over 9,000 metric tons of space debris, ranging from defunct satellites and rocket bodies to fragments from past collisions.The risk of impact, though statistically low, is a rising concern for the aviation industry.
