Weather balloon may have struck United plane's windshield, causing flight diversion
Weather balloon may have struck United plane's windshield, causing flight diversion
A United Airlines flight diverted to Salt Lake City last week after the pilots discovered a crack in one of the layers of the windshield, and a weather balloon may have been what caused the crack, according to the company that owns the balloon. Kris Van Cleave reports.
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Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article is mostly accurate, reporting on a United Airlines flight diversion due to a cracked windshield, potentially caused by a weather balloon. The primary claims are supported by multiple sources. The bias is minimal, with a slight slant towards reporting the incident as a potential accident.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim: A United Airlines flight diverted to Salt Lake City last week.
- Verification Source #1: Confirms a United Airlines flight diverted to Salt Lake City after an object struck the plane's windshield.
- Verification Source #2: Confirms a United Airlines flight diverted to Salt Lake City after the pilots discovered a crack in the windshield.
- Verification Source #4: Confirms a United Airlines flight diverted to Salt Lake City after its windshield cracked.
- Verification Source #5: Confirms the flight diverted to Salt Lake City after an unknown object struck the windshield.
- Assessment: Supported
- Claim: The pilots discovered a crack in one of the layers of the windshield.
- Verification Source #2: Confirms the pilots discovered a crack in one of the layers of the windshield.
- Verification Source #1: Confirms an object struck the plane's windshield, causing it to crack.
- Verification Source #4: Confirms the flight was forced to divert after its windshield cracked.
- Verification Source #5: Confirms an unknown object struck the plane's windshield.
- Assessment: Supported
- Claim: A weather balloon may have been what caused the crack, according to the company that owns the balloon.
- Verification Source #2: Implies a weather balloon may have caused the crack.
- Verification Source #3: Confirms a Palo Alto startup says one of its weather balloons may have struck the flight, cracking the windshield.
- Verification Source #4: Confirms the windshield may have cracked after the plane hit a weather balloon.
- Verification Source #5: States that according to the company, a weather balloon may have been the cause.
- Assessment: Supported
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Multiple sources (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) confirm the United Airlines flight diversion to Salt Lake City due to a cracked windshield.
- Source 3 explicitly states: 'A Palo Alto startup says one of its weather balloons may have struck a United flight at 36000 feet, cracking the jet's windshield.'