Couple arrive home from holiday to find gaping hole in their roof caused by a huge lump of ice that fell from a plane causing £500 worth of damage
- Glennys and Geoff Dalby returned from their trip to France to find gaping hole
- They found water in their loft space where the block of ice had melted
- Mrs Dalby, 79, has tried to enlist help to track down the airline responsible
- She argues ice damage should be treated in the same way as ‘vortex damage’
- Vortex damage is often compensated for if homeowners roofs and slates are damaged by turbulence from planes flying overhead
Glennys and Geoff Dalby returned from their trip to France and saw how the frozen block had caused £500 of damage to their bungalow
A couple arrived home from holiday to find a gaping hole in their roof caused by a huge lump of ice thought to have fallen from a plane.
Glennys and Geoff Dalby returned from their trip to France and saw how the frozen block had caused £500 of damage to their bungalow.
Storage boxes had also been broken in the garden of their home near Tonbridge, Kent.
The damage was caused on September 16, and when the couple returned five days later they found water in the loft space above their garage, where the block had fallen and later melted.
Mrs Dalby, 79, has tried to enlist the help of both the Civil Aviation Authority and nearby Gatwick Airport to track down the airline responsible.
She said the CAA ‘merely logged’ her report of the ice fall and has done nothing more.
Mrs Dalby argues that ice damage should be treated in the same way as so-called ‘vortex damage’ – a number of airports will compensate homeowners if their roofs and slates are damaged by turbulence from planes flying overhead. ‘We have hit a brick wall in trying to get to the bottom of who is responsible,’ she said yesterday.
‘Our insurance policy has a £100 excess and we have been told our premium will rise in the event of us making a claim.’
The damage was caused on September 16, and when the couple returned five days later they found water in the loft space above their garage, where the block had fallen and later melted
Mrs Dalby, 79, has tried to enlist the help of both the Civil Aviation Authority and nearby Gatwick Airport to track down the airline responsible.
The couple’s neighbours heard a loud bang and noticed the damage from the ice fall shortly after midday on September 16.
Mrs Dalby’s son-in-law visited the property and, after taking some photographs, made a makeshift repair of the roof by using a tarpaulin.
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The cost of fixing the damage caused is thought to be in the region of £500.
Mrs Dalby said she believes airlines should have a corporate contingency fund to help people whose homes have been damaged by ice falls.
She said the CAA ‘merely logged’ her report of the ice fall and has done nothing more
Mrs Dalby argues that ice damage should be treated in the same way as so-called ‘vortex damage’ – a number of airports will compensate homeowners if their roofs and slates are damaged by turbulence from planes flying overhead
‘I know they are supposed to be relatively rare but we feel we have had no real help in this matter,’ she said.
Falls of frozen blocks from the sky normally occur when ice forms on the outside of an aircraft while it is cruising at high altitude.
The ice can then fall from the plane when it makes its descent into warmer air as it prepares to land. There are around 2.5million flights that travel through UK airspace every year.
The CAA reported just seven ice falls last year. In 2013 there were 25 reported ice falls, with 12 in 2014 and 2015 and ten in 2016.
The CAA’s website says: ‘While we will record the details of your report, we are unable to investigate the potential origin of an ice fall and will not routinely provide feedback. The CAA has no liability for damage which may be caused by an ice fall.’ Last night Gatwick Airport said it had agreed to compensate Mrs Dalby with £500 as a ‘goodwill gesture’ for the damage to her home.
A spokesman said: ‘While ice falls from aircraft are rare, they do unfortunately happen from time to time, and airlines are accountable for any damage caused.
‘We’ve been liaising closely with the complainant to try and help her identify the airline responsible for this incident, although it does not appear to have been a Gatwick aircraft.’
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