Originally published at: NTSB Preliminary Report On United Windshield Strike
Report details United windshield impact, balloon proximity and early findings.
Some Chinese spy balloon no doubt.
Chinese spy balloon? Another off the cuff, nonsensical, drivel-driven conspiracy theory, unsupported by facts or logic. Sheesh.
It used to be “big sky, small airplane” but that’s no longer true with all the balloons, falling space debris and drones. If you hit anything at 395 kts, it will make an impression no matter how it’s constructed. Part 108 will make this worse by filling the lower altitudes with autonomous drones. It’s human nature not to worry about something until it smacks us in the face but by then it’s usually too late for a simple fix. Better on-board radar is the only solution that I can see.
Except the company that owns the balloon said it was one of theirs the day after it happened.
Sorry to burst your conspiratorial bubble, or balloon as it were
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Really… so you didn’t see all the confirmed ones over continental USA a year or so ago…
Include a small ADS-B out transmitter in these weather balloons?
The Chinese spy balloon comment was satire.
Seems like a transponder and/or ADS-B might’ve avoided this incident?
Anything in the sky going above 300 feet or within 2 miles of a public airport should be required to be adsb-out-equipped. It’s just too busy out there these days for big-sky thinking. This would also eliminate the constant deluge of useless drotams.
makes sense that something like this needs to be done. I was flying over western Montana a few summers ago, 10K feet, beautiful day, and had to alter course to avoid hitting a weather ballon. The main problem was not being able to see it until it was fairly close. I’m glad that I wasn’t in the clouds at the time.
ADS-B out is the obvious solution. Of course airliners aren’t yet required to have ADS-B in. TCAS needs to be updated to act on ADS-B data.
Yet another reminder that “see and avoid” doesn’t work.
The balloon’s manufacturer, Windborne, told investigators that the GSB is designed using no large metal components or “high-stiffness” structural parts in order to minimize any damage in the event of a collision.
Hmm, but Windborne’s balloons are the reusable type that can make multiple ascents and descents over a period of days without “landing” (instead of launching multiple balloons). Presumably it has some sort of onboard equipment that enables altitude control. It also has a sandbag for ballast. Hitting a bag of sand at a jet’s cruising speed can do damage equivalent to a “high-stiffness” structural part.
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