Falling ice crashes through roof of home

[twochai]

Here's one for the books:

?It was like an explosion?: Couple feels lucky to be alive after ice from plane crashes through roof | National Post (http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/calgary-couple-recounts-terrifying-ordeal-after-ice-from-westjet-flight-crashes-through-home)

[lomapaseo]

best use is to use it in mixed drinks within the next weeks or so.

[DaveReidUK]

Just as long as the ice isn't coloured blue. :O

[expurser]

I love the comment from the unfortunate housewife "It’s very dangerous those planes going over, but there’s not much we can do.”

[Kewbick]

A rare occurrence to be sure, but not unknown. In fact a piece of ice fell through a Calgary roof a couple of years ago in the same neighborhood..

Oh, when ice does fall from an airliner, it usually originates from the sinks and water dispensers, NOT from the toilet. The public immediately assumes it is toilet waste water..

Also, some airlines no longer use blue water to identify toilet waste water.

[roybert]

From the news video the ice looked light yellow. And good on WestJet for standing up and saying it came off one of there planes and that they would make arrangement to have the house repaired.

[CurtainTwitcher]

The Japanese had it right years ago! Tokyo RJAA Jepp 20-9L (http://web.archive.org/web/20170227205135/http://cartasaereas.altervista.org/cartas/RJAA.pdf), charts are from 2010, but it was the same thing long before that.

Gear down operation during an approach to Rwy 34L / 34R - In order to prevent ice blocks falling from aircraft onto the ground, all flights making an approach to Rwy 34L / 34R from the seashore are required to complete gear down and locked before reaching IYQ 12.3 DME (NRE 14 DME) for Rwy 34L and ITJ 13.6 DME (HKE 15.4 DME) for Rwy 34R as far as the safety of the flight is not compromised.

If I recall correctly, they even had an observer sitting in a tower on the coast to ensure compliance. There is is a story of a query on GND as to why the previous day the crew had failed to extend the gear as required, the simple response "operational requirements". Just to let the crew know that they knew.

[Offchocks]

I don't know if the Japanese got it right, I do know that it was a pain in the backside putting the gear down seven or so miles earlier than normal. It was not at all an efficient way to fly the approach, especially since most of it was over farm land.

[CurtainTwitcher]

Sorry offchocks, I should have put the /sarc tag in there somewhere to be more explicit, ! was an insufficient hint. See Poe's law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law) and online sarcasm.

[NSEU]

Oh, when ice does fall from an airliner, it usually originates from the sinks and water dispensers, NOT from the toilet. The public immediately assumes it is toilet waste water..

I can't figure out how it could be from sinks and water dispensers. Drain masts are heated. If they are not heated (due to a malfunction), the pipes are relatively narrow (<1/2"?) and water usually doesn't get through.... it freezes, causing blockages and floods. Also, wouldn't the narrow shape of the mast out in the airstream not let large chunks accumulate?

[er340790]

There is no known engineering programme to ameliorate the occurrence of ice falling from airliners.

Well, I'm no P.Eng, but an on-board waste water tank that can only be pumped out via a ground-hose might work...

Anyone got George Foreman's Cell??? MY FEE!!! :E

[Airbubba]

The Japanese had it right years ago! Tokyo RJAA Jepp 20-9L (http://web.archive.org/web/20170227205135/http://cartasaereas.altervista.org/cartas/RJAA.pdf), charts are from 2010, but it was the same thing long before that.

I've been told that the gear down over the water policy at NRT comes from some wheel well stowaways falling onto property under the approach path back in the 1970's while local 'activists' were rioting to prevent full operation of the airport. I can't recall ever hearing about ice blocks falling when you put the wheels down on an airliner but I suppose it is possible. It is odd that the NRT gear down restriction doesn't apply when landing to the south.

[777AV8R]

I've been told that the gear down over the water policy at NRT comes from some wheel well stowaways falling onto property under the approach path back in the 1970's while local 'activists' were rioting to prevent full operation of the airport. I can't recall ever hearing about ice blocks falling when you put the wheels down on an airliner but I suppose it is possible. It is odd that the NRT gear down restriction doesn't apply when landing to the south.

The restriction is still in effect and appears in the Jepp 34L/R briefing strip. And yes, it is for ice. Years ago, a large chunk of ice dropped from an aircraft on final approach. It went through the roof of the house and killed the head of the house. Culturally this wasnt a good thing. As a result the restrictions were put in place. To this day, there is an observer near the shoreline. Failing to have the gear down, even though it is a long distance away, can lead to a hefty fine.