United Airlines 737 hit by mystery object at 36,000 feet: Investigators probe whether it came from space

A cracked cockpit window has caused a Denver to Los Angeles United Airlines flight to divert to Salt Lake City. The incident, which occurred about 36,000 ft above Utah, is being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Only the flight captain sustained an injury.

A cracked cockpit window and a narrow escape

Photos circulating online show a fracture on the upper-right corner of the plane’s cockpit glass, suggesting a collision with an object at high velocity. Other photos show the flight captain sustained minor cuts from glass shards. However, the United Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft did not lose cabin pressure, thanks to the multi-layer laminated glass.

The NTSB has confirmed on X that it is “gathering radar, weather, and flight recorder data.” The federal agency has received the cracked windscreen for microscopic and structural analysis.

Could it be from space?

While the pilot has described the object as space debris, investigators are pursuing several possibilities:

• Meteorite: This is the most likely source. Thousands of tiny fragments from space impact the Earth’s atmosphere daily, and they can cause significant damage during collisions with objects like glass due to their tremendous speed.
• Space debris: This is admittedly less common, but remnants from decommissioned satellites or expended rockets can re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. They can also cause localized damage when they hit an aircraft.
• Weather balloons or probes: Some balloons can reach high in the atmosphere. However, they are usually low-density and unlikely to crack reinforced glass.
• Hail or ice crystal: While this is a possibility, it can easily be ruled out by checking the flight’s recorded weather conditions.

What is next?

As stated earlier, the NTSB will study the cracked glass and analyse microscopic residue. It will also try to find clues from trace material. If it turns out to be a meteor, the event will be recorded as one of the rare known cases of a commercial flight being hit by a natural extra-terrestrial object.