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

Understanding the Dangers of Falling Ice

During rainfall, it's not uncommon for small ice pellets, known as hail, to fall alongside raindrops. Children often pick these up and eat them, but caution is advised. These ice pieces could potentially be frozen urine that has fallen from an aircraft.

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 discovered a chunk of ice on their roof. Initially believing it to be hail, they were shocked to find it was actually frozen urine from a plane.

For years, rumors have circulated that all waste from planes is released mid-flight, sometimes landing on the ground. However, modern aircraft store this waste in tanks. Yet, mishaps can occur, leading to what is known as 'blue ice' being released from the aircraft.

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, he thought it was hail, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a frozen urine cube that had fallen from a plane.

A similar incident happened to Stephanie Cole, who lives in Great Glen Home. A chunk of ice fell on her car, which turned out to be another instance of frozen urine from an aircraft.

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