"A Palo Alto startup that makes weather balloons admits it was likely their balloon that struck a United Airlines flight this past Thursday, cracking the windshield, injuring a pilot and forcing an emergency landing. It made some news last week when a United Airlines flight from Denver to LA had to make an emergency landing because something crashed into and broke part of its windshield. Follow-up reporting from KTVU points out that there were 134 passengers and six crew members on board, and that one of the pilots had his arm pretty badly injured and bloodied up. Some pictures from the aftermath can be seen below."
"On Thursday, 16 October, Foreign Object Debris (FOD) struck the windshield of UA1093, a 737 MAX aircraft, at approximately 36,000 ft, the company said in a Monday blog post. WindBorne began investigating this incident at 11pm on Sunday, 19 October, and we believe that the FOD was likely a WindBorne balloon. Another community launch for the books! Thank you to everyone who came out, asked questions, & shared a slice w/ us. Interested in seeing one in person? Keep your eyes peeled for future community launches - coming to a flat piece of land near you pic.twitter.com/ZgZ17Z3EsQ WindBorne Systems (@WindBorneWx) July 24, 2025"
On October 16, 2025, United Airlines flight UA1093 experienced a cracked cockpit windshield at 36,000 feet after impact with foreign object debris. The Boeing 737 MAX carried 134 passengers and six crew; one pilot sustained a seriously injured, bloodied arm and the aircraft made an emergency diversion to land. WindBorne Systems, a Palo Alto startup that builds smart weather balloons, began investigating on October 19 and said the FOD was likely one of their balloons. The incident generated media follow-up, images circulated online, and public attention focused on balloon launches and aviation safety.
Read at sfist.com
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