Beware of Falling Ice: It Might Not Be What You Think

The Dangers of Falling Ice from Planes

During rain, small ice pellets often fall alongside raindrops, commonly known as hail. Children sometimes pick these up and eat them. However, caution is advised, as these ice pieces could potentially be frozen urine from airplanes.

Airplanes are equipped with tanks to collect waste, but occasionally, this waste can escape. A notable incident occurred in 2006 involving Andy and Gennor Swan, who found what they thought was hail on their roof. Upon closer inspection, they were shocked to discover it was actually frozen urine that had fallen from a plane.

For years, rumors have circulated that all waste from planes is released below, sometimes landing on the ground. Modern aircraft do store waste in tanks, but mishaps can occur, leading to what is known as 'blue ice' being released.

There have been multiple instances where waste has fallen to the ground in this manner. In the case of Andy and Gennor, an 18-inch block landed on their roof while they were in their garden.

Andy recounted that when the ice struck their roof, it made a loud noise and caused some damage. Initially, they thought it was hail, but later realized it was a cube of urine ice that had fallen from an aircraft.

A similar incident happened to Stephanie Cole, who lived in Great Glen. A block of ice fell on her car, which turned out to be frozen urine from a plane.

In both cases, the homeowners suffered significant damage, yet they received no compensation from the airline.