Falling Ice From Airplane Smashes Into North Jersey Home: Report

PATERSON, NJ — A block of falling ice that crashed through a Paterson family's home this week appeared to be from a passing airplane, the residents said.

Sabrina and Paul Gomez were sitting in the backyard Wednesday night when they heard a clatter, and shared security camera footage with News12 that captured the noise.

Chunks of ice went through the roof of their 38th Street home and into the top level, and the impact also scattered ice onto the neighbor's driveway, the News12 report said.

No one was hurt, though the Gomezes may need to completely replace their roof.

"Honestly, it was a little terrifying, but thank God it didn't hit anybody and it just went on the floor and on the roof," Sabrina told the news station.

She added that their house sits under several flight paths, and that they looked up after the noise and did see a plane above.

Ice can accumulate on an aircraft's exterior at higher altitudes and then break off as it descends into warmer air, and can also form if water is seeping out of the lavatory waste system, says an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Such incidents are rare, but they do happen — including last year in the Boston area when another family had a large ice chunk hit the roof of their home. A similar incident happened in Marlton in 2021.

The family filed a claim with the Federal Aviation Administration; Patch has reached out to the agency for any further details.