United(US:UAL) Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-10-19 14:31Core Viewpoint - On October 16, a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced a cockpit windshield failure at high altitude, leading to an emergency landing and sparking discussions about potential external impacts on the aircraft [1][3][5]. Group 1: Incident Details - The flight involved was UA1093, traveling from Denver to Los Angeles, with 140 passengers and crew on board [3]. - The aircraft descended from 36,000 feet (approximately 10,973 meters) to 26,000 feet (approximately 7,925 meters) after a crack was discovered in the windshield, landing safely at Salt Lake City International Airport [3]. - Passengers were later rebooked on another Boeing 737 MAX 9, resulting in an overall delay of about 6 hours [3]. Group 2: Speculations and Analysis - Following the incident, United Airlines confirmed the safe landing and stated that a layer of the multi-layer windshield had cracked, with a full inspection planned [5]. - Speculation arose in the aviation community, with notable aviation blogger JonNYC suggesting an unusual cause for the windshield failure, hinting at a possible high-energy impact [5][6]. - Images circulated online showed severe damage to the windshield, including "shattered cracks" and glass fragments in the cockpit, along with visible injuries on the pilot's arm, indicating a significant impact [6][8]. - Aviation expert Chen Jianguo analyzed that the aircraft could have been struck by debris such as a meteorite or remnants from rockets or satellites, emphasizing the potential for severe damage even from small objects at cruising speeds of approximately 850 km/h [8].