[JBiserkov]

Speculation-free facts: https://avherald.com/h?article=52e80701

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1093/history/2025...

[gpm]

Interesting that there's been a bird strike at that altitude before (per the comments in avherald). I didn't know birds flew that high.

[jddj]

Go for a scroll up https://neal.fun/space-elevator/

[ardel95]

Demoiselle crane flies over Himalayas and over Everest during its yearly migration, so it'd be flying at least 30k feet high.

I only know that from Planet Earth documentary, which was such a great show!

[grapesodaaaaa]

In this case, it should be easy to detect genetic or biological material if it was a meat sack strike & rule out space debris. They don’t tend to do well when hit at several hundred mph.

The only other thing really up that high would be space debris, weather balloon payload (the balloon itself is very thin and soft), or maybe a sounding rocket (but don’t these come with NOTAMs?).

[gus_massa]

It hit the plane on the front. Doesn't something like a bird that flies at a stable altitude increase the chance of a collision on the front?

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I can't remember the species, but there's a bird that files crazy high. I think it's a vulture.

[SideburnsOfDoom]

Yes, however this incident appears to have been caused by an object smaller and denser than a bird.

Likely candidates are 1) some metal payload dangling from a defunct high-altitude balloon and

2) space rock.