On 16 October 2025 United Airlines flight UA-1093 from Denver DEN to Los Angeles LAX experienced an unusual in-flight impact.
The Boeing 737-8 MAX was cruising at 36,000 feet when an unidentified object struck the aircraft’s windshield, leading to a diverted route and the aircraft’s safe landing at Salt Lake City SLC.
The aircraft was carrying 140 passengers and while no fatalities were recorded, injuries were sustained by the captain. Images of the impact show a circular crack in the top-right corner of one of the windshield panes. The epicentre of the crack appears the size of a large marble.
Images also indicate scorching and other impact signs, suggesting the cause was external rather than an equipment malfunction.
Foreign Object Debris and bird strikes at cruising altitude are extremely rare. At that altitude, more plausible explanations include hail, a meteorite and space debris. While meteorite impacts on Earth are far more common space debris, the discourse on the incident has nevertheless given some more light in the public sphere on the concerns of space debris.
Researchers and space actors have been increasingly cautioning over the last several years on the risks posed by space debris. While much of these warnings are in the context of space debris damaging in-space infrastructure (posing challenges to the many systems on Earth dependent on satellite operations) this incident highlights the potential for greater disruption on Earth.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident.
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