Plane windshield shatters during United Airlines flight to LAX

Officials are investigating how a windshield shattered during a United Airlines flight from Denver to the Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 16, officials confirmed to KTLA on Sunday.

“On Thursday, United flight 1093 landed safely in Salt Lake City to address damage to its multilayered windshield,” a United Airlines representative stated. “We arranged for another aircraft to take customers to Los Angeles later that day and our maintenance team is working to return the aircraft to service.”

United said there were about 134 customers and 6 crew members aboard the Boeing 737 Max 8 at the time.

Photos shared with KTLA show what appears to be a pilot holding up his arm, bloodied with cuts to his forearm, in the cockpit of the damaged aircraft. Photos of the exterior of the plane show a fully shattered windshield, with apparent contact damage to the top right corner.

Online users who provided the photos said they received the footage directly from people at the scene, but KTLA is still working to independently confirm this information.

Officials did not immediately confirm the pilot’s injuries or provide updates on his status or whether any others were injured. United added that aircraft windshields are designed to function safely in case any layer sustains damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board posted on X later Sunday morning, confirming the investigation into what they described as “a cracked windscreen on a Boeing 737-8,” which it said happened near Moab, Utah.

“Operating as United flight 1093 from DEN to LAX, airplane diverted safely to SLC,” the Board stated. “NTSB gathering radar, weather, flight recorder data. Windscreen being sent to NTSB laboratories for examination.”

No further details were immediately provided.