Archive · 21 Nov 2025
United Pilots Injured After Object Strike at 36,000 Feet
A United Airlines plane flying at 36,000 feet was hit by an object, probably a weather balloon.
The pilots got hurt by flying glass, and the plane had to land early.
Now, people are looking into what happened.
United Airlines jet struck by object on October 16
Pilots showered with glass, captain injured
Object believed to be a weather balloon
Plane made emergency landing in Denver
NTSB investigating the incident
- Who
- United Airlines pilots and passengers
- What
- United Flight 1093 struck by an object
- When
- October 16, 2021
- Where
- Over Utah, emergency landing in Denver
- Why
- Object believed to be a weather balloon
Pilots' Perspective
WindBorne Systems' Perspective
Object Identification
Pilots' Perspective
Pilots unaware of object's identity
WindBorne Systems' Perspective
WindBorne Systems believes it was one of their balloons
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 MAX
- Flight Number
- United Flight 1093
- Altitude
- 36,000 feet
- Destination
- Denver
- Investigating Agency
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)