‘It was like an explosion’: 10-pound chunk of ice falls through roof of Yucaipa Home

By KCAL/KCBS Staff

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    YUCAIPA (KCAL/KCBS) — A Yucaipa woman was nearly killed when a big chunk of ice, presumably from an aircraft flying overhead, crashed through the roof of her home.

“It was like an explosion,” Charlett Yablonsky said.

Yablonsky said she and her little dog, Doodles, had just gotten up off the couch and gone to bed Thursday night when what sounded like a bomb blast shook them back awake.

“When I got up, I literally pinched myself to see if I was dreaming,” she said.

But it wasn’t a dream. A 10-pound chunk of ice had, in fact, fallen from the sky and ripped through the roof of her living room, landing on the couch where she and Doodles always watch TV before bed.

“If it would have landed like this in this particular spot, back there, it would have gotten either [Dan Yablonsky] or me or [Doodles],” Yablonsky said.

A HAZMAT team that came out to investigate told Yablonsky that there were no chemicals in the ice and, since it was clear instead of blue, it was more likely that it came from the kitchen on an airplane instead of the bathroom.

“And, I mean, we’re very fortunate that it wasn’t that,” Yablonsky said.

In a written statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said:

“The FAA follows up on reports such as this and attempts to identify the aircraft. We cannot immediately confirm whether we’ve received a report on this incident from the homeowner, but we are looking into it.”

But she wants the airline to pay for the damage to her home.

“Maybe someone out there will listen,” she said.

And she said she wants federal regulators to be more involved with aircraft maintenance and safety so this does not keep happening.

“I’m just thankful our numbers weren’t up, and why our house? I don’t know,” she said. “But I’ll tell you, I’m gonna be hard pressed to fall asleep.”

A temporary patch has been placed on the exterior of the roof, but the interior damage is extensive and will be difficult to repair.

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