A couple living in Los Angeles are suing US carrier JetBlue for US$1 million (S$1.35 million) after a chunk of ice allegedly fell from a plane, smashing through the roof of their home in January 2024.
The block of ice, which they said was “the size of a watermelon”, reportedly landed inches from the couple’s bed, which they had been lying on, on Jan 1, 2024, at about 8pm, Mr Michael Reese and Ms Leah Ferrarini alleged in a lawsuit cited by British newspaper The Independent.
This caused about US$360,000 worth of physical damage and led to the couple moving to a new place, as they feared a repeat incident due to the large number of planes regularly passing over their home – “one every five minutes”.
Their home was in Inglewood, a suburb just east of Los Angeles International Airport.
“Because they no longer feel safe in their home due to the incident, plaintiffs are forced to move from their dream home and find another place to live for which they will incur substantial costs,” states the complaint, which was filed in January 2025.
The couple are also demanding another US$300,000 for emotional distress; US$300,000 for pain, suffering and inconvenice; and US$40,000 for present and future medical expenses.
They said in their lawsuit that they could no longer sleep comfortably without thinking of the incident, and added that they had since developed persistent insomnia.
Alleged negligence and trespassing
In addition to accusing JetBlue of negligence for flying a dangerous plane, the couple are also alleging the airline is guilty of trespassing, as they “did not grant JetBlue permission to allow the large chunk of ice to enter their home or cause damage”.
“The incident has overall made them anxious and depressed, feeling unsafe in what was their dream home,” read their January complaint, which also noted that Mr Reese was forced to turn down a work opportunity following the episode.
The plane was identified as JetBlue flight 2715, which was directly above the couple’s house.
It was travelling from Los Angeles to New York at the exact moment the incident occurred, reported The New York Post, citing the couple.
They then called the authorities to report what happened, with police and firefighters being called to the home.
“Safety is our number one priority and guides everything we do,” JetBlue told The New York Post in a statement, declining to comment on the allegations.
In a court response on Jan 9, JetBlue said it was not liable for the destruction caused by the ice block, and added that it had conformed with all “statutes, governmental regulations, and industry standards” at the time.
They also asked the court to award them attorneys’ fees for the costs of the lawsuit.
“History of potable water issues”
According to the complaint, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which investigated the matter, found that the aircraft had “a history of potable water issues dating back to July 2023”.
The same plane was also allegedly responsible for a similar incident in August 2023, when it discharged another slab of “clear ice” that crashed through the roof of a home in the Boston area.
In the case of the latest incident, FAA also reportedly ordered a review of the plane’s water and drainage systems 10 days after it happened, and found them to be defective – misthreaded fasteners connecting a valve caused a leak, which then froze while the plane was airborne in January 2024, leading to the chunk breaking away and plummeting into the couple’s home.
The complaint also states that if the carrier had carried out inspections of their plane after the initial incident in August 2023, the January 2024 incident could have been avoided.
- Ian Cheng is a correspondent at The Straits Times, covering breaking news and current affairs.
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