Pilot injured Crack in cockpit window - flight forced to make an emergency landing due to possible space debris
Spectacular incident over the USA: A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 had to abort its flight after a cockpit window cracked at high altitude. Investigators are now looking into whether the glass was hit by space debris or a micrometeoroid.
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- On flight UA1093 from Denver to Los Angeles, a window in the cockpit shattered at an altitude of 11,000 meters.
- The plane landed safely in Salt Lake City, one pilot was injured in the arm.
- Experts believe it could have been hit by space debris or a micrometeorite.
Scary moment at an altitude of 11,000 meters: A Boeing 737 Max 8 with the registration number N17327 had taken off from Denver towards Los Angeles on Thursday with 134 passengers and six crew members when cracks suddenly appeared in the left cockpit window.
According to local media reports, the crew decided to make an immediate safety landing in Salt Lake City. Photos published on X by well-known aviation observer Jon NYC show shattered glass in the cockpit and an injury to a pilot's arm.
Cockpit windows are considered extremely robust
Pilots and engineers emphasize that the cockpit windows of commercial aircraft are multi-layered and extremely robust. They consist of three to four layers of glass and plastic and are designed in such a way that structural stability is maintained even in the event of partial cracks.
Possible causes range from temperature stresses and material fatigue to impacts from small pieces of ice or hail and hits from micrometeorites.
Suspicion of space debris
The case has attracted particular attention because a punctiform impact mark can be seen on the outside of the windshield. Experts therefore do not rule out the possibility of space debris or a tiny meteorite. Tens of thousands of fragments of old satellites and rocket stages are orbiting the earth, which could release enormous amounts of energy on contact with an airplane.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United Airlines have launched an investigation. An FAA spokesperson emphasized that "all potential causes are being investigated".
Landed safely - investigation underway
According to the United Airlines spokesperson, the damaged jet remained controllable and the landing went without further incident. The injured pilot was treated on site. The aircraft is currently undergoing a technical inspection. Until the cause is determined, speculation remains open - from material failure to a rare hit from space.
