SPOKANE, Wash. — A United Airlines flight headed from Denver to Los Angeles was diverted last month after hitting a weather balloon from Spokane, covering the cockpit in glass.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report on the incident on Thursday.
The plane came across the balloon at 36,000 feet near Moab, Utah.
The report states that the captain had minor injuries. No one else was hurt.
There were 111 passengers onboard at the time.
The captain told investigators he spotted something on the horizon, and before he could mention it to his first officer, it hit the windshield with a loud bang.
The impact showered the two in glass and cut the captain’s right arm.
He transferred control of the plane to the first officer, and they coordinated with air traffic control to land at the nearest airport— Salt Lake City.
A medical team met the plane at the gate and treated the captain.
Investigators requested the position of all weather balloons and other aircrafts in the area – to see what hit the windshield.
WindBorne Systems Inc. reported that they lost contact with one of their global sounding balloons (GSBs) that was in the vicinity at the time of the accident.
The balloon traveled south from Washington, down through Oregon and Nevada, before turning northeast, and was crossing through Utah, according to the report.
A notice had been issued for the launch on Oct. 15, but it expired the afternoon of the crash.
According to the report, the balloons are made of a thin plastic film. No large metal or high-stiffness elements are used because, Windborne told investigators that they want to minimize the harm the balloons could do if they hit something during flight or landing.
The plane’s windshield – manufactured by PPG Aerospace – was designed to withstand the impact of a four-pound bird. It was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for examination. The flight data and cockpit voice recorder were also sent in to be reviewed.
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