United Flight Accident Occurred at 36,000 Feet

A quiet morning flight over the American West turned suddenly tense when passengers aboard were told that the plane had collided with something.

On October 16, 2025, a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Denver to Los Angeles encountered an unexplained and alarming midair event over the Utah desert near Moab. At 36,000 feet, something struck the cockpit windshield, triggering a rapid descent and a diversion to Salt Lake City.

Passenger Captures Sunrise, Then Hears Alarming News

Heather Ramsey, one of the passengers onboard, was using her phone to film the sunrise from her window when she noticed something unusual.

Speaking to FOX 11, Ramsey said that a flight attendant suddenly told another crew member to stop all in-flight service and head to the back of the aircraft. Moments later, an announcement from the cockpit came that would send chills through the cabin.

"Unfortunately, we have some bad news. The aircraft has collided with an object," the pilot told them, according to Ramsey.

Panic began to set in as the plane quickly dropped 10,000 feet in altitude. The crew diverted course toward Salt Lake City International Airport.

Terrifying Descent Leaves Cabin Frozen in Fear

Ramsey recalled looking out of the window, thinking that the plane might plummet completely at any moment. The cabin remained tense as other passengers waited with bated breath for what would happen. Fortunately, all 134 passengers and six crew members landed safely, though the pilot suffered minor injuries.

Unconfirmed images shared by X account @xJonNYC showed a jagged indentation in the top corner of a windshield section. The rest of the glass panel was shattered, visibly compromising cockpit visibility. Additionally, one picture even detailed the visible wounds on the pilot's arm.

United Responds as Questions Swirl Over What Hit the Plane

In a statement, United Airlines confirmed that the windshield damage affected only one of several protective layers. After landing, the airline arranged for another flight later that day, and passengers reportedly arrived in Los Angeles about six hours behind schedule.

Meanwhile, the damaged aircraft is undergoing repairs, and officials are investigating what could have caused such a high-altitude impact.

NTSB Examining Possibilities: Space Rock? Scrap Metal? Bird?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a full investigation. Shards from the windshield have already been sent to laboratories for analysis. Meanwhile, investigators are considering weather conditions, drones, space debris, or even a tiny meteorite as potential culprits.

No conclusive evidence has been released so far. "That seems a little high for a bird," Ramsey noted during her interview. "People are saying scrap metal, it could be space debris, drones?"

But experts say a space impact is unlikely. The Federal Aviation Administration has reported that no commercial airline has ever been struck by space debris, and estimates the odds as less than one in a trillion.

Despite the midair chaos, Ramsey expressed deep praise for the pilot's steady hand and leadership during the crisis.

Now, all eyes are on the results of the NTSB investigation, which will determine what exactly pierced the sky above Utah — and whether it could happen again.