Ice Bomb Blitz Hits Britain

Nov 19, 2000

Figures presented by Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament Jenny Tonge this week show that there were 36 reported incidents of frozen effluent from aircraft hitting the ground in the first ten months of 2000, which is already more than double the total for 1999.

The current record of 37 ice-bombs in any one year was recorded in 1997 and Tonge indicated that it is likely this level will soon be surpassed this year.

Dr. Tonge is now calling on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to tighten aircraft safety procedures because the ice-bombs present a threat to public safety. One of her constituents was nearly killed walking home, she said, and a primary school had also escaped from a near miss.

The MP, whose constituency lies underneath the flight path into London Heathrow airport, also indicated that some 57 objects from aircraft had hit the UK in 2000 and declared, "The Civil Aviation Authority must now make good their promise to hold discussions with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the regions, to clarify how ice-falls should be reported and monitored."

She also called on the CAA to ensure that foreign aircraft using British airports be required to follow the same checks on their water systems as British carriers.

"It is about time that the Civil Aviation Authority insisted that foreign aircraft using British airports follow the same stringent checks on their water systems as our own airlines," she said.

According to the figures, there were also 21 other incidents of "falling objects" from planes.

Dr. Tonge said that in 1998 the frozen body of a stowaway fell from a plane on to what is now a supermarket in her constituency.

She said that despite the Civil Aviation Authority's previous promises to tighten safety, 57 objects from planes have hit the U.K. this year.

http://news.airwise.com/stories/2000/11/974640521.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), November 19, 2000