United flight UA1003 to Denver returned to San Francisco after the aircraft hit a drone.
On Mar 23rd 2024, the United Boeing 737 MAX9 was on the initial climb when the pilots reported they had probably hit a drone.
The aircraft (registration N37535) climbed to 5,000 ft when the pilots contacted the tower and requested to return to SFO.
The flight was vectored back to SFO on runway 28R.
While the crew was not sure about the damages, pilots didn’t request any ground assistance.
An American Airlines pilot, waiting for takeoff, reported that animals were crossing the runway.
The flight landed 40 minutes after departure with 187 souls onboard after ILS approach.
UPDATE
The FAA finally reported a bird strike, damaging the pilot side window.