WindBorne Systems said last month that one of its weather balloons appeared to have struck a Boeing 737 MAX plane over Utah, damaging its windshield. The US National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that the balloon's flight path intersected with the United Airlines plane.
What injuries did the captain of the plane suffer?
How many people were on board the plane?
What caused the emergency landing?
When did the collision between the balloon and the plane take place?
Collision of a balloon with a plane. The captain was wounded
As a result of the collision, both pilots were covered with pieces of glass. The captain suffered numerous superficial cuts to his right arm, and the co-pilot was not injured. The captain said he noticed an object on the horizon, but before he could react it hit the windshield, accompanied by a loud bang. A flight from Denver to Los Angeles with 112 passengers on board made an emergency landing safely at the Salt Lake City airport.
Reuters reminds that aircraft windshields are made of multi-layer glass, which prevents a drop in cabin pressure in the event of damage during the flight.
