After Oakland, ice chunk falls in Loma Linda
San Francisco Chronicle
Loma Linda, San Bernardino County, Ca (US):
Oakland isn't the only California city to experience a mysterious chunk of ice hurtling from the sky this week. In Loma Linda, a block of ice estimated to be the size of a microwave oven crashed through a metal roof of a recreational center Thursday.
"I've been in the fire service for 31 years, I've heard and read about these things, but I've never seen this in person,'' said Rolland Crawford, division chief of the Loma Linda Fire Department.
Two tennis players were batting a ball around outside the Drayson Center at Loma Linda University Thursday morning when they heard a strange sound, Crawford said.
At the time, Loma Linda was enjoying a classic spring day, blue skies with not a cloud in sight and temperatures in the 60s.
The ice slammed into the gymnasium roof, pushing through metal, wood and insulation and landing near a wall. No one was injured and even the gym floor was spared damage.
"The ice was not blue, it was not clear, it was completely white,'' Crawford said.
Crawford believes the ice toppled from a passing, unheard airplane. Loma Linda is in the flight path of aircraft flying to Ontario Airport with much additional air traffic heading east to Los Angeles International Airport.
The FAA will be investigating the incident and may have some answers in terms of identifying aircraft in the vicinity.
Apr 14, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle
Loma Linda, San Bernardino County, Ca (US):
Oakland isn't the only California city to experience a mysterious chunk of ice hurtling from the sky this week. In Loma Linda, a block of ice estimated to be the size of a microwave oven crashed through a metal roof of a recreational center Thursday.
"I've been in the fire service for 31 years, I've heard and read about these things, but I've never seen this in person,'' said Rolland Crawford, division chief of the Loma Linda Fire Department.
Two tennis players were batting a ball around outside the Drayson Center at Loma Linda University Thursday morning when they heard a strange sound, Crawford said.
At the time, Loma Linda was enjoying a classic spring day, blue skies with not a cloud in sight and temperatures in the 60s.
The ice slammed into the gymnasium roof, pushing through metal, wood and insulation and landing near a wall. No one was injured and even the gym floor was spared damage.
"The ice was not blue, it was not clear, it was completely white,'' Crawford said.
Crawford believes the ice toppled from a passing, unheard airplane. Loma Linda is in the flight path of aircraft flying to Ontario Airport with much additional air traffic heading east to Los Angeles International Airport.
The FAA will be investigating the incident and may have some answers in terms of identifying aircraft in the vicinity.
Apr 14, 2006
