Blue ice, in the context of aviation, is frozen sewage material that has leaked mid-flight from commercial aircraft lavatory waste systems. It is a mixture of human biowaste and liquid disinfectant that freezes at high altitude. The name comes from the blue color of the disinfectant. Airlines are not allowed to dump their waste tanks in mid-flight,[citation needed] and pilots have no mechanism by which to do so; however, leaks sometimes do occur from a plane's septic tank.
There were at least 27 documented incidents of blue ice impacts in the United States between 1979 and 2003.[1] These incidents typically happen under airport landing paths as the mass warms sufficiently to detach from the plane during its descent. A rare incident of falling blue ice causing damage to the roof of a home was reported on October 20, 2006 in Chino, California.[2] A similar incident was reported in Leicester, UK, in 2007.[3]
In 1971, a chunk of ice from an aircraft tore a large hole in the roof of the Essex Street Chapel in Kensington, London, and was one trigger for the demolition of the building.[4]
In November 2011, a chunk of ice, the size of an orange, broke through the roof of a private house in Ratingen-Hösel, Germany.[citation needed]
In February 2013, a "football sized" ball of blue ice smashed through a conservatory roof in Clanfield, Hampshire, causing around £10,000 worth of damage.[5]
In October 2016, a chunk of ice tore a hole in a private house in Amstelveen, The Netherlands.[6]
In November 2018, a chunk of ice fell from the sky and crashed through the roof of a home in Bristol, England. [8]
Danger to aircraft
Blue ice can also be dangerous to the aircraft itself; the National Transportation Safety Board has recorded three very similar incidents where waste from lavatories caused damage to the leaking aircraft.[9][10][11] All involved Boeing 727s, and in all cases waste from a leaking lavatory hit one of the engines, mounted at the rear of the aircraft, causing a power loss.[9][10][11] The flights made safe emergency landings with the two remaining engines. Nobody was injured. Only one report specifically mentions ice,[10] while another mentions "soft body FOD" (foreign object damage),[11] indicating that the damage was caused by a relatively soft object like ice or a bird and not a metallic object or a stone.
In popular culture
Blue ice became known to many people from the 2003 Season 3 finale of the HBO television series Six Feet Under, in which a foot-sized chunk drops on a woman, killing her. A similar incident occurs in the 1996 television series Early Edition episode “Frostbite”, when the main character saves a man from being crushed by a chunk of blue ice. It was also mentioned in The Big Bang Theory. This also happened in an episode of CSI: NY. The title of the 1992 film Blue Ice is a reference to the phenomenon.[12] The 2001 film Joe Dirt finds the title character (played by David Spade) proudly displaying a large chunk of "blue ice" which he has mistaken for a meteorite, and the topic has also been covered on the TV show MANswers. Blue ice was also featured in an episode of the television series MythBusters. Blue ice is a cause of death in season 4 of 1000 Ways to Die. Blue ice also features in Series 6 Episode 1 of the BBC Series The Brittas Empire, in which a block of blue ice falls on the Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre.
^Gumz, Jondi (February 12, 2003). . Santa Cruz Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2007-01-04. The Living in Everyday Earth Web site reports there have been at least 27 documented blue-ice incidents nationally in the past 24 years.
^"Toilet ice rips hole in couple's roof". Fox News. Associated Press. October 21, 2006. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
^"Frozen Pee Anyone?". BBC. June 7, 2014. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
^Essex Church in Kensington 1887-1987: History of a Unitarian Cause p25, by Raymond Williams 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
^ "'Football-sized' ice smashes home". BBC News. February 11, 2013. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
^"Meteoriet blijkt drol uit vliegtuig". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
^"'I'm covered in poo': Transport Canada investigating feces falling from sky". June 2, 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
^"Block of ice crashes through roof of house in Bristol". November 7, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
blue, aviation, blue, context, aviation, frozen, sewage, material, that, leaked, flight, from, commercial, aircraft, lavatory, waste, systems, mixture, human, biowaste, liquid, disinfectant, that, freezes, high, altitude, name, comes, from, blue, color, disinf. Blue ice in the context of aviation is frozen sewage material that has leaked mid flight from commercial aircraft lavatory waste systems It is a mixture of human biowaste and liquid disinfectant that freezes at high altitude The name comes from the blue color of the disinfectant Airlines are not allowed to dump their waste tanks in mid flight citation needed and pilots have no mechanism by which to do so however leaks sometimes do occur from a plane s septic tank Contents 1 Danger of ground impact 2 Danger to aircraft 3 In popular culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDanger of ground impact EditThere were at least 27 documented incidents of blue ice impacts in the United States between 1979 and 2003 1 These incidents typically happen under airport landing paths as the mass warms sufficiently to detach from the plane during its descent A rare incident of falling blue ice causing damage to the roof of a home was reported on October 20 2006 in Chino California 2 A similar incident was reported in Leicester UK in 2007 3 In 1971 a chunk of ice from an aircraft tore a large hole in the roof of the Essex Street Chapel in Kensington London and was one trigger for the demolition of the building 4 In November 2011 a chunk of ice the size of an orange broke through the roof of a private house in Ratingen Hosel Germany citation needed In February 2013 a football sized ball of blue ice smashed through a conservatory roof in Clanfield Hampshire causing around 10 000 worth of damage 5 In October 2016 a chunk of ice tore a hole in a private house in Amstelveen The Netherlands 6 In two incidents in May 2018 chunks of blue ice fell onto residents in Kelowna British Columbia 7 In November 2018 a chunk of ice fell from the sky and crashed through the roof of a home in Bristol England 8 Danger to aircraft EditBlue ice can also be dangerous to the aircraft itself the National Transportation Safety Board has recorded three very similar incidents where waste from lavatories caused damage to the leaking aircraft 9 10 11 All involved Boeing 727s and in all cases waste from a leaking lavatory hit one of the engines mounted at the rear of the aircraft causing a power loss 9 10 11 The flights made safe emergency landings with the two remaining engines Nobody was injured Only one report specifically mentions ice 10 while another mentions soft body FOD foreign object damage 11 indicating that the damage was caused by a relatively soft object like ice or a bird and not a metallic object or a stone In popular culture EditBlue ice became known to many people from the 2003 Season 3 finale of the HBO television series Six Feet Under in which a foot sized chunk drops on a woman killing her A similar incident occurs in the 1996 television series Early Edition episode Frostbite when the main character saves a man from being crushed by a chunk of blue ice It was also mentioned in The Big Bang Theory This also happened in an episode of CSI NY The title of the 1992 film Blue Ice is a reference to the phenomenon 12 The 2001 film Joe Dirt finds the title character played by David Spade proudly displaying a large chunk of blue ice which he has mistaken for a meteorite and the topic has also been covered on the TV show MANswers Blue ice was also featured in an episode of the television series MythBusters Blue ice is a cause of death in season 4 of 1000 Ways to Die Blue ice also features in Series 6 Episode 1 of the BBC Series The Brittas Empire in which a block of blue ice falls on the Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre See also EditParts Departing AircraftReferences Edit Gumz Jondi February 12 2003 Another mysterious chunk of blue ice hits Santa Cruz Sentinel Archived from the original on 2008 02 24 Retrieved 2007 01 04 The Living in Everyday Earth Web site reports there have been at least 27 documented blue ice incidents nationally in the past 24 years Toilet ice rips hole in couple s roof Fox News Associated Press October 21 2006 Retrieved 2011 01 05 Frozen Pee Anyone BBC June 7 2014 Retrieved 2017 07 26 Essex Church in Kensington 1887 1987 History of a Unitarian Cause p25 by Raymond Williams Archived 2011 05 17 at the Wayback Machine Football sized ice smashes home BBC News February 11 2013 Retrieved 2017 07 26 Meteoriet blijkt drol uit vliegtuig Retrieved 2016 10 31 I m covered in poo Transport Canada investigating feces falling from sky June 2 2018 Retrieved 2018 06 03 Block of ice crashes through roof of house in Bristol November 7 2018 Retrieved 2018 11 07 a b April 30 1974 Incident NTSB Retrieved 2011 04 16 a b c April 16 1985 Incident PDF NTSB Retrieved 2011 04 16 permanent dead link a b c January 04 1990 Incident NTSB Retrieved 2011 04 16 Derek Elley October 14 1992 Blue Ice Review Variety Retrieved 2009 03 26 External links EditMark Belko November 21 2002 The sky is falling Uh not exactly Pittsburgh Post Gazette Retrieved 2007 01 04 It s a bird it s a plane it s a block of ice Bay News 9 com January 28 2007 Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Frozen Jetliner Waste Smashes Into Home United Press International April 14 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blue ice aviation amp oldid 1117688763, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
