Massive Ice Chunk Crashes Through New Jersey Family's Roof, Likely from Passing Plane

Jeff Ilg shows damage to his home in Shirley, Mass., where a chunk of ice landed on the roof on Aug. 13, 2023.

A New Jersey family narrowly escaped disaster when a large chunk of ice, apparently falling from a plane, crashed through the roof of their suburban Paterson home on Wednesday night.

The alarming incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. while the Gomez family was seated at their backyard table, just 12 feet away from the impact zone, according to News 12 New Jersey. “Out of nowhere, you just hear a hollow sound coming down, and honestly, we didn’t think anything of it, and then you just hear a big DOOOOSH!” Sabrina Gomez recounted to the outlet.

The Gomez family was seated at their backyard table less than 12 feet away from the impact zone.

Security footage from the backyard shows the family leaping from their seats as the ice chunk plummeted to the ground. “It was big stones…I guess it was a big square. When it came down, it smashed everything,” Paul Gomez explained.

The Gomez home is located directly under several flight paths, a fact highlighted by Sabrina Gomez. “When we look up, it’s basically like a plane flying by,” she said.

The frightening scene happened around 9:30 p.m. in Paterson, NJ.

Rushing to the front of their house, the family recorded video footage of ice pieces scattered across their driveway. “Honestly, it was a little terrifying, but thank God it didn’t hit anybody, and it hit the floor. It hit the roof thank God,” Sabrina Gomez shared.

The impact from the ice block was severe enough that the family may need a new roof. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The Gomez’s home sits directly underneath several flight paths.

The family has filed a claim with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate the incident. This chilling event comes almost a year after a similar occurrence in Massachusetts, where a chunk of ice weighing between 15 and 20 pounds struck a home in Shirley.

In that August 2023 incident, Jeff Ilg and his wife, Amelia Rainville, heard an explosion-like noise when the ice block crashed through their roof. They found their children unharmed and discovered debris and a large ice chunk in their attic.

Jeff Ilg said he and his wife, Amelia Rainville, suspect the ice fell off an airplane traveling to Boston Logan International Airport.

The FAA explains that such ice formations can occur when supercooled water freezes upon hitting an aircraft. This typically happens when an aircraft flies near the top of a cold air mass beneath a warm air layer, often during freezing rain ahead of a warm front in winter. As the plane moves through this environment, the supercooled water hits the aircraft and freezes on contact.