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FAA Probes Ice Chunk That Crashed Through Whittier Roof

The inquiry aims to determine the source of the ice to guide safety over crowded flight paths.

Overview

  • A large, dirt-streaked block of ice punched through a Whittier home’s roof and landed on a couch late Friday morning, April 10, with no injuries reported.
  • Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn requested a thorough FAA investigation, and the agency says it is reviewing the report.
  • Flight-tracking checks by the homeowner showed a plane overhead at the time, and the house sits under an LAX approach where planes pass every few minutes.
  • Police and fire crews labeled the call a suspicious circumstance, and the homeowner bagged and froze the foul-smelling ice for identification and health concerns.
  • The source remains unknown, with possibilities including ice shedding from an aircraft, leaking lavatory “blue ice,” or a rare free-fall ice chunk called a megacryometeor.