Unbelievable! United Airlines Pilot Claims His Jet Was Hit by Space Debris!
Imagine soaring at 36,000 feet only to be struck by debris from space! That’s exactly what happened to a United Airlines Boeing 737 on a routine flight from Denver to Los Angeles. The captain, who bravely piloted the aircraft with 140 passengers on board, reported that his plane was hit by what he believes to be space debris, making this incident a jaw-dropping rarity in aviation history.
The story broke when JonNYC first reported the unsettling theory, sharing shocking photos that showed significant damage to the cockpit windshield and an injury to the captain’s arm. While space debris sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, the FAA has deemed the likelihood of such incidents to be less than a trillion-to-one. Yet, the damage was undeniable; it wasn’t from thermal stress, but rather a clear impact.
As the captain described the moment, he caught sight of the object just in time. What he thought was space debris—a term that encompasses defunct human-made objects orbiting Earth—hit the aircraft with a force that could only be compared to pebbles striking a windshield on a busy highway. Space debris includes everything from old satellites to rocket fragments, and although it poses a significant risk to spacecraft, the chances of encountering it during a commercial flight are astronomically low.
What’s even more astonishing is that this type of incident has never been officially recorded before. As the captain described his near-miss, one couldn't help but wonder, could it really have been space debris? After all, debris that makes it to such altitudes would be tiny and dark, barely visible against the vastness of the sky. With the speed at which it travels, by the time you see it, it’s already too late. The odds of both spotting it and it being what he claimed is bewilderingly low.
Despite the captain's report, many remain skeptical. While the damage might suggest something akin to space debris, the conditions and visibility raise questions. Thankfully, the aircraft diverted to Salt Lake City without further incident, and passengers were safely transported to Los Angeles on another flight. This incident not only highlights the unpredictability of flying but keeps us on our toes about the mysteries lurking above us in the great expanse of our atmosphere.
