An unusual incident occurred last Thursday aboard a United Airlines flight. While the plane was cruising, a sudden impact shattered the cockpit window. Hit in the arm by shards of glass, the pilot immediately initiated an emergency landing.

The incident occurred last Thursday at an altitude of about eleven kilometers during a flight from Denver to Los Angeles, USA. The pilot had to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City. Glass fragments were found in the cockpit, and the exterior of the aircraft also showed slight damage.

“Flight 1093 landed safely in Salt Lake City to allow for windshield repairs,” the airline said in a statement. “Passengers were flown to their destination later that day on another aircraft. Our maintenance team is currently making the necessary repairs to return the aircraft to service.”

The hypothesis of space debris or a meteorite raised

Among the hypotheses being considered is that of an impact caused by space debris, or even a small meteorite. However, according to a report published in 2023, the probability of a passenger being injured in such a scenario is infinitesimal: barely one in a billion. Aircraft can also be damaged by birds or hail, but at the cruising altitude at which the aircraft was operating, these causes are ruled out.

More than 25,000 pieces of debris in orbit

The number of space debris orbiting Earth continues to increase. According to NASA, more than 25,000 objects at least ten centimeters in diameter are currently orbiting our planet.