Key Takeaways
- United Airlines flight forced to emergency land after likely weather balloon collision
- Boeing 737 Max windshield fractured at 36,000 feet over Utah
- Windborne Systems confirms its balloon was likely involved
- All 140 passengers and crew safe despite cockpit glass damage
A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing last week after likely colliding with a weather balloon at 36,000 feet over Utah, fracturing the aircraft’s windshield and sending glass fragments flying in the cockpit.
The Boeing 737 Max, traveling from Denver to Los Angeles, landed safely in Salt Lake City with all 134 passengers and six crew members unharmed. California-based Windborne Systems confirmed its weather balloon was probably involved despite safety measures.
Surprising Damage from Lightweight Balloon
Windborne CEO John Dean expressed shock at the extensive damage caused by collision with a balloon weighing just 2.4 pounds at takeoff. The company’s balloons use simple sand bags as ballast and gather atmospheric data to improve weather forecasts.
“I find this extremely concerning, and unacceptable in the case of a collision, regardless of what the official regulations are, It resulted in injury to a pilot, which I’m simply not okay with whatsoever,” Dean stated on social media platform X.
Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the incident. Windborne provided flight data showing close alignment between the aircraft’s location and its balloon’s last known position before transmission stopped around the collision time.
Dean confirmed the company follows all Federal Aviation Administration regulations for balloon size and design. Windborne coordinates with the FAA for every launch, filing pilot notices and sharing live balloon position updates.
Safety Improvements Implemented
Windborne has already modified balloon software to reduce time spent between 30,000-40,000 feet – common commercial flight altitudes. The company is also exploring new ballast designs to minimize collision impact force.
The NTSB will release preliminary findings within weeks, though the complete investigation may take over a year. United Airlines has deferred all questions to the safety board during the ongoing government shutdown.
