DENVER / LOS ANGELES , October 21, 2025 — The mystery object that struck a United Airlines flight UA1093 at 36,000 feet last week is now believed to have been a weather balloon operated by Silicon Valley startup WindBorne Systems, according to a statement by the company’s CEO.
The incident occurred on October 16, when Flight UA1093, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, from Denver to Los Angeles diverted to Salt Lake City after an in-flight impact cracked the cockpit windshield, injuring one of the pilots.
Initial speculation ranged from space debris to a high-flying bird. But new statements from WindBorne’s co-founder and CEO John Dean—coupled with confirmation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)—point to a far more terrestrial explanation.
WindBorne’s CEO: “Yes, I Think This Was a WindBorne Balloon”
In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Dean acknowledged that the object may have been one of WindBorne’s high-altitude balloons:
“Yes, I think this was a WindBorne balloon. We learned about UA1093 and the potential that it was related to one of our balloons at 11 p.m. PT on Sunday and immediately looked into it. At 6 a.m. PT, we sent our preliminary investigation to both NTSB and FAA, and are working with both of them to investigate further.”
Dean said WindBorne operates a “constellation of long-duration, lightweight weather balloons to improve weather forecasts,” providing data to both U.S. and international agencies.
The company said in a statement:
“WindBorne has conducted more than 4,000 launches. We have been coordinating with the FAA for the entire history of the company and file NOTAMs (aviation alerts) for every balloon we launch.”
“The system is designed to be safe in the event of a midair collision. This is the purpose of the FAA Part 101 and ICAO weight limits. Our balloon is 2.4 pounds at launch and gets lighter throughout flight.”
WindBorne Systems’ official statement acknowledging that a company balloon was likely involved in the UA1093 incident
The NTSB has confirmed receipt of WindBorne’s submission and is reviewing the data as part of its ongoing probe. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters that the outcome “could have been really devastating for the aircraft and those on board” under different circumstances.
The Flight UA1093 Incident
On October 16th, United Airlines flight UA1093, travelling from Denver to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing at Salt Lake City International Airport after its windshield cracked midair, injuring one of the pilots.
Weather conditions were calm, with no thunderstorm activity along the route. The absence of hail or bird activity at cruising altitude initially deepened the mystery, leading to early social-media speculation about space debris before the balloon theory surfaced.
Why a Balloon Fits the Profile
High-altitude research balloons are typically designed to float well above commercial flight levels, but during ascent or descent they pass through 30,000–40,000 feet, the same airspace used by jetliners.
Though built from ultra-light polymer film, each balloon carries a small instrument package consisting of sensors, radios, and batteries that can cause localized impact damage if struck by an aircraft moving at about 460 knots.
The crack pattern and lack of depressurization aboard UA1093 are consistent with a relatively small, lightweight object hitting the outer layer of the windshield at high relative speed.
If confirmed, the incident will be one of the first known collisions between a commercial airliner and a high-altitude research balloon at cruising altitude.
💬 Join the conversation: We’d love to hear your take on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn.
