PATERSON, New Jersey (WPIX) – A New Jersey family is picking up the pieces after a large chunk of ice fell from the sky and leveled their attic.
Living on a busy air route in Paterson, New Jersey, just 15 miles north of Newark, the roar of a jet engine is nothing new to the Gomez family. That was until Wednesday night, when a thunderous bang startled the family.
It was caused by a huge chunk of ice crashing through its roof.
“It went through the roof, hit the floor with such force that it broke the second floor ceiling,” Nexstar’s Paul Gomez, who bought the house just a few months ago, told WPIX. “Fortunately, they didn’t hit us.”
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“We were sitting, having a great time, eating as a family, when out of nowhere we heard the noise of a helicopter,” recalled his daughter Sabrina.
Everyone ran to the third floor and found destruction.
A check of nearby flights from Newark Airport around 9:42 p.m. shows that several planes flew near or over your neighborhood.
“The police officer said it was probably from a plane,” Gomez said.
A New Jersey family is picking up the pieces after a large chunk of ice fell from the sky and flattened their attic on June 12, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Paul Gomez)
The Federal Aviation Administration is aware of the strange accident that experts say occurred with a plane. According to aviation experts, accidental releases of biohazards from planes turning into ice have occurred, but they are rare.
“The cause of this is a wild card,” said Dr. Joe Schwieterman, a transportation professor at DePaul University who studies such phenomena. “It’s a very unusual situation, but it has something to do with the chemistry of the plane, the water or the bathrooms or the exterior of the plane. “It’s something that’s scary.”
The Gómez family said there was no smell left and the ice had a bluish hue.
“It was a color like bluish ice, like an iceberg,” Sabrina explained.
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The FAA told WPIX it “generally” investigates incidents like this.
The damage from this “fall from the sky” could cost the family up to $20,000, Gomez said. “One in a million. One in a million. It had to be my home.”
The FAA told the family it would be on site Monday to investigate, but for now, it would be up to their insurance to cover the bill.
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