A PRISON WARDEN RPTS THAT A 25 LB PIECE OF ICE FELL INTO AN EMPTY EXERCISE YARD AT HIS PRISON.

Narrative

IN READING THE LAST 2 ISSUES RELATING TO THE HAZARDS OF ICING I RECALLED AN INCIDENT HERE AT THE PRISON SEVERAL MONTHS BACK. IT STOOD OUT AT THE TIME SINCE I AM A PRIVATE PLT; BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IT STOOD OUT EVEN MORE AS I READ THE LAST 2 ISSUES OF CALLBACK. WHEN WE THINK OF ICING HAZARDS THE VAST MAJORITY OF PLTS THINK OF THE DANGER IT CAUSES TO US AND TO OUR PAX. AS THE ATTACHED INCIDENT RPT (AN INTERNAL FORM FOR RPTING ACCIDENTS) SHOWS; ICE ON ACFT CAN POSE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK FOR THOSE ON THE GND EVEN IF IT DOESN'T BRING DOWN THE PLANE. THE RPT READS: 'AT APPROX XA00 HRS ON MAY/SUN/92 RPTING OFFICER WAS CLOSING MEDIUM YARD (THE EXERCISE AREA FOR MEDIUM CUSTODY INMATES) WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE SKY ABOVE TWR X. AT THIS TIME RPTING OFFICER OBSERVED A LARGE OBJECT FALLING FROM THE SKY. THE OBJECT HIT THE GND JUST W OF TWR X AND BROKE INTO LARGE PIECES OF ICE. THE ICE PIECES SPREAD TO AROUND A 30 FT RADIUS OF WHERE THE OBJECT LANDED. RPTING OFFICER ESTIMATES THAT THE SOLID PIECE OF ICE WEIGHTED 25 LBS.' WE ASSUME THE ICE MUST HAVE COME FROM A PAX JET AS WE ARE APPROX 15 MI W OF KANSAS CITY INTL AND WE ARE IN THE APCH AND DEP RTES. THE TIMING OF THE INCIDENT WAS INDEED FORTUNATE AS THIS RECREATION AREA WAS CLOSED ONLY MOMENTS BEFORE AND WHEN OPEN TYPICALLY HAS SEVERAL HUNDRED INMATES IN THE AREA.