Weather Balloon Identified as Cause of United Airlines Flight 1093 Windshield Damage
A WindBorne Systems weather balloon is believed to have struck United Airlines Flight 1093, causing windshield damage and minor injuries to a pilot.
United Airlines Flight 1093, en route from Denver to Los Angeles on October 16, 2025, sustained significant windshield damage after colliding with an object at approximately 36,000 feet. The aircraft diverted to Salt Lake City, where it landed safely. Images shared on social media depicted a cracked cockpit window and a pilot with minor lacerations from glass shards.
Initial speculation suggested the object might have been space debris or a meteorite. However, WindBorne Systems, a weather prediction company, has identified one of its weather balloons as the likely cause. Co-founder Kai Marshland stated,
"I think this was a WindBorne balloon. We learned about UA1093 and the potential that it was related to one of our balloons at 11 pm PT on Sunday and immediately looked into it. At 6 am PT, we sent our preliminary investigation to both NTSB and FAA, and are working with both of them to investigate further."
WindBorne Systems operates a fleet of small, lightweight weather balloons designed to collect atmospheric data. The company asserts that its balloons are compliant with all applicable airspace regulations and maintains active communication with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure operational safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into the incident. No major injuries were reported among passengers or crew.