A rogue weather balloon was revealed in a new report to be the mystery object that smashed into a United Airlines jet last month, shattering the windshield and showering the cockpit in glass as the plane cruised over Utah at 36,000 feet.
The injured captain, who suffered multiple lacerations from flying glass, was forced to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City when the stray balloon suddenly slammed into the Boeing 737 aircraft around 6:43 a.m. on Oct. 16, the National Transportation Safety Board announced Friday.
A day earlier, a WindBorne Systems global sounding balloon had launched from Spokane, Washington, drifting south through Nevada before looping back north into Utah, according to the preliminary report.
The California-based aerospace company said it had lost contact with the gas-filled, envelope-shaped high-altitude weather balloon, which was in the area when one of the jet’s multi-layered windshields was nearly blown out mid-flight as it traveled from Denver to Los Angeles.
The balloons are built to minimize damage if they ever collide with an aircraft or hit the ground, according to WindBorne, which says they contain no large metal or high-stiffness structural parts, the report said.
But officials said aircraft windshields are engineered to withstand a four-pound bird strike without cracking.
“The impact resulted in both pilots being showered with pieces of glass,” the NTSB’s report said, noting the remaining 111 passengers on board suffered no injuries.
“The captain sustained multiple superficial lacerations to his right arm; the [first officer] was uninjured.”
Harrowing photos shared online after the terrifying incident showed the pilot’s arm bruised and bleeding, with shards of broken glass littering the cockpit and dashboard.
The collision unfolded just after the captain spotted a mysterious object on the horizon, but before he could warn his first officer, it slammed into the passenger jet with a “loud bang,” according to the report.
The cabin maintained its pressure and the crew diverted and landed at Salt Lake City International Airport.
WindBorne released a statement Friday in response to the NTSB report, saying it has rolled out four new safety measures to prevent further mid-air collisions.
The changes include cutting the time balloons spend in commercial airspace, improving air traffic alerts, developing collision-avoidance algorithms, and reducing the balloons’ mass to minimize damage if a collision occurs.
“We are deeply relieved that Flight UA 1093 landed safely and with minimal damage,” the statement read.
“Our flight systems are designed both to prevent mid-air impacts and, in the rare event one occurs, to ensure safety through redundant structural and operational safeguards …. the UA1093 incident has reinforced our commitment to continuous improvement, and we have acted immediately to further strengthen safeguards.”
The NTSB investigation is still ongoing.
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