United Airlines flight diverts after cockpit windshield hit by suspected high-altitude debris

The cause of the damage has not been confirmed. While a failure of the windshield itself is possible, evidence suggests an external object may have struck the plane. At such high altitude, this could indicate meteorite or space debris involvement—a scenario described as extremely rare by industry experts.

Other possibilities being considered include electrical arcing malfunction or hail strike; however, both are uncommon at cruising altitudes. If confirmed as space debris, it would mark the first known instance of such an event affecting a commercial airliner.

According to prior statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the likelihood of space debris causing passenger injury is less than one in a trillion. Nevertheless, with more than 36,000 pieces of tracked space debris currently orbiting Earth according to NASA data, these risks are monitored closely.

The affected aircraft (registration N17327) remains grounded in Salt Lake City pending further investigation. The jet was delivered new to United Airlines in December 2023 and is configured for up to 166 passengers across two classes.