A Los Angeles couple is suing JetBlue after a huge block of ice "the size of a watermelon" fell from a plane and crashed through their roof — right into their bedroom.
Homeowners Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini, who live in Inglewood near LAX, say the terrifying projectile landed right next to their pillows and caused more than $300,000 in damages. But even worse than the physical damages, the incident has caused them to feel "anxious and depressed, feeling unsafe" in their own home.
JetBlue says the offending plane, which was flying from JFK International airport on January 1st when the incident occurred, is not liable because it has conformed to all "statutes, governmental regulations, and industry standards," according to court documents via The Independent. But ask the FAA, and you'll get a different take.
From The Independent:
The FAA opened its own probe into the matter, according to the complaint, which says the agency found that the aircraft in question had "a history of potable water issues dating back to July 2023." It was 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, the complaint states. …
Ten days after the ice fell through Reese and Ferrarini's roof, the FAA ordered a review of the plane's potable water and drainage systems, which were found to be defective, according to the complaint. It says inspectors found misthreaded fasteners connecting a valve that caused a leak, which then froze at altitude and broke free over Reese and Ferrarini's home.
However, the complaint contends, JetBlue should have performed the inspection a year earlier, following the incident in Shirley. Had the airline done so, it says Reese and Ferrarini's home — and lives — would still be intact.
Reese and Ferrarini, who say they now "cringe in fear with each plane that passed over their home which is approximately one every five minutes," feel they have no choice to but to move out. In the meantime, reports the Independent, the couple is "demanding a combined $300,000 for emotional distress; $300,000 for pain, suffering, and inconvenience; and $40,000 for present and future medical expenses."
Previously: Two people found dead in JetBlue wheel well in Florida: "This keeps happening"