Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board are currently probing an incident involving a cracked windscreen.
DENVER — A cracked windscreen prompted a United Airlines flight to alter its course on Thursday, and transportation safety experts are now delving into the matter.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that a Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Denver International Airport at approximately 5:51 a.m.
Flight 1093, which was en route to Los Angeles International Airport, had to make an unscheduled landing at Salt Lake City International Airport after passing near Moab, Utah, because of the windscreen issue. The extent of the damage and the cause of the crack remain under investigation.
The NTSB is examining various factors such as radar data, weather conditions, and flight recorder information as part of their investigation into the windscreen incident.
There were no confirmed injuries due to this incident and United Airlines told outlets the plane landed safely after being diverted. Another plane arrived to take the passengers to Los Angeles.
While no information about what cracked the windscreen is available at this time, the plane is scheduled for a Sunday evening flight from Salt Lake City International Airport to Chicago Rockford International Airport, according to flight trackers.
United Airlines said the plane had 134 passengers on board and six crew members. They also said aircraft windshields are layered and are designed to function even a layer may be damaged.
No other information about the investigation is available at this time.
It comes as the government shutdown is putting strain on air traffic controllers and other parts of airports day-to-day happenings.
While air traffic controllers are considered essential by the government and required to work through a shutdown, the number of requests for sick leave tend to rise dramatically as a government shutdown drags on because they are working without pay.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference Oct. 6 that the Federal Aviation Administration was already tracking an uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick.
It’s unclear if the government shutdown impacts investigations conducted by the FAA or NTSB.
