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United Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Washington D.C. diverted to Denver due to cracked windshield

January 28, 2024 / 3:16 PM MST / CBS Colorado

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The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement Sunday afternoon that a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane diverted in Denver from Las Vegas due to a cracked windshield.

The plane was headed to Washington D.C. but was forced to land in Denver around 1:10 p.m. MST, while passengers were able to deplane normally and a plane change happened, according to FAA.

A United Airlines jetliner heads in for a landing at Denver International Airport after a winter storm swept through the region Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Denver. Forecasters predict that the frigid weather will persist until midweek in the intermountain West. David Zalubowski / AP

The FAA says a new flight and aircraft was scheduled to depart Denver to Washington D.C. Dulles Airport around 2:25 p.m. MST. The plane reportedly had 166 passengers onboard and seven crewmembers.

In a statement, the FAA explains that the "cracks happen across all airplane models" and generally, when they occur, it's in the "glass pane on the outside, which serves as a protective covering for the inner structural portion."

FAA also says that the glass panes are around two to three inches thick with several layers and that windshields cracking happens more often than travelers think.

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Kasey Richardson

Kasey Richardson was a digital media producer in the CBS Colorado newsroom. He wrote and edited articles on a variety of topics, but they were usually breaking news, weather, sports and developing stories.