PALM COAST, Fla. — A mysterious ice chunk that came crashing through a Palm Coast roof in early February did not appear to come from any passing airplanes, Federal Aviation Administration investigators have determined, deepening the mystery surrounding incident.
The 6 foot by 3-foot block was assumed to have fallen from one of several commercial airliners that flew over the Seminole Woods neighborhood around the time witnesses said they watched the ice fall from the sky.
Ice has been known to fall from airplanes that have leaks that freeze as the water hits the freezing temperatures high in the atmosphere. When the plane descends to lower and warmer altitudes, the ice melts and falls off.
The FAA says it has ruled that situation out.
“The FAA contacted airlines whose aircraft were operating in that area when the incident occurred. Inspections of those aircraft did not find evidence of water leaks that could have caused ice to form on the outside of the aircraft,” an agency spokesperson wrote.
No one was inside the home when the ice fell, which firefighters said was a lucky break. A block that size can be fatal.
A retired commercial airline pilot reached by phone Wednesday struggled to come up with an alternate explanation for how the ice could have come from an airplane. Other situations, he said, wouldn’t have produced a chunk nearly as large.
WFTV has followed up with investigators to see if they tested the ice at all to find out if it was pure water or if it contained any contaminants, which could provide clues to the ice’s origin.
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