Weather balloon blamed for causing plane’s windshield crack at 36,000 feet and forcing emergency landing
New theory for what caused plane windshield to crack at 36,000 feet
- A United Airlines jet made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after its windshield cracked at 36,000 feet.
- The aircraft had taken off from Denver and was en route to Los Angeles when the incident occurred.
- John Dean, CEO and co-founder of WindBorne Systems, said one of his company's weather balloons was likely responsible for the damage.
- Dean reported his preliminary findings to both the NTSB and FAA, stating his balloons are designed to not pose a risk to human life.
- WindBorne Systems has implemented immediate changes to minimize balloon time between 30,000 and 40,000 feet and is developing new avoidance technology and hardware designs.