Authorities are investigating a commercial airliner that was hit by a mysterious object while flying over Moab, Utah, on Thursday, October 16
United Airlines Flight 1093, a Boeing 737 Max 8, was flying at an altitude of 9,144 feet (9,144 m) from Denver to Los Angeles when an object struck its airframe. In a Gizmoto statement, United said the plane was carrying 134 passengers and six crew members and confirmed that the airframe was damaged in the collision.
The flight was safely diverted to Salt Lake City, where passengers later boarded another flight to Los Angeles. There were no official reports of injuries, and the airlines did not respond to Gizmodo’s inquiries about the matter. However, unverified photos associated with the incident appear to show that the pilot was cut in his arm.
Gizmodo reached out to the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration for more information but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
It’s too early for firm answers
Unconfirmed photos of the damaged plane show an object hitting the upper right corner of the air vent, shattering the glass and damaging its metal frame. Windvield is made of multiple layers of glass with a laminate in between, and according to Avbrief.com, only one layer was damaged. It is reported that this prevents the airflow from completely exhausting, allowing the cockpit to maintain its cabin pressure.
On October 16, 2025, United Airlines Flight UA1093, a Boeing 737 Max, had to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after its airframe ruptured while flying from Denver to Los Angeles. One casting caused an arm injury, and while the exact cause… pic.twitterst.com/byxproyojzz
– Ranger H (@Rangerh338) October 19, 2025
In a post on X, the NTSB said it is investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened. The airlock has been sent to the Board’s laboratories for testing, and the NTSB is also collecting radar, weather and flight recorder data. Until the investigation is complete, we can only block what caused the collision.
Could this thing come from space?
According to Avbrief.com, unnamed sources told AVWEB on Sunday that the focus of the NTSB investigation is on the condition of the payload balloon, but Gizmodo could not confirm that statement. Other reports have suggested the object may have been space debris, a meteorite, hail, or a bird.
According to the weather network, conditions were completely clear as the plane flew over Utah on Thursday, suggesting hail was not a problem. A bird-influence hypothesis is also possible, since few species of birds can fly above 30,000 meters and none are destructive in the US
The object could have been a weather balloon, a meteorite, or a chunk of space debris, but without knowing the speed of the impact, it is impossible to say whether these objects would cause the type of damage shown in the photos.
While research has warned that falling debris poses a growing threat to aviation, the number of meteorites that hit Earth each year still far exceeds the number of man-made objects that have survived re-entry into space. Therefore, the meteorite causes more damage.
Again, this is pure speculation. Hopefully, as the investigation continues, officials will reveal more details about this shocking incident.
