Boeing Bomb

[prleone]

Guys, my unfortunate work position requires me to check many videotapes for airline quality control. The titles I see are not exactly... provocative.

So, in "Joe Dirt", David Spade finds a meteorite which eventually turns out to be a "frozen chunk of shit". "we call 'em Boeing bombs", replies the shopkeeper. He explains that airlines regularly drop large loads of waste in rural areas. How true is this? Has is ever happened or only in the case of an overflow emergency? - Thanks, Peter

[Johnny L.A.]

Someone will be round with a link shortly, I'm sure. but for now: Yes, it happens when for whatever reason, a valve sticks open. The "blue water" freezes and drops off.

What I want to know is: Has this stuff ever dropped off from the forward lavatory and then been sucked into an engine?

[Bricker]

Which proves that during the height of the cold war... even if you lived nowhere near a military target... you could still be hit with an icy B.M.

- Rick

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Originally posted by Bricker
Which proves that during the height of the cold war... even if you lived nowhere near a military target... you could still be hit with an icy B.M.

- Rick

No Bricker, you didn't say it!

Spider Robinson wrote it in Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.

[Sofa King]

I swear that News of the Weird reported on such an event, but a thorough search of that site (www.newsoftheweird.com) reveals nothing.

[ElvisL1ves]

Originally posted by Johnny L.A.
What I want to know is: Has this stuff ever dropped off from the forward lavatory and then been sucked into an engine?

Seems to me I recall that happening 15-20 years ago on a 727. The deceleration and imbalance loads on the #3 engine actually tore it off (hint: that isn't supposed to happen).

[CnoteChris]

Well here's an interesting article out of Britain. I especially like the title-

Ice Bomb Blitz Hits Britain - Airwise News, Sept. 26 2001

<snip>
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.

Amazingly enough, here's one account from a UFO publication-

This lump had been found on the roof of a carport which indicated that the ice came from the sky. Furthermore the consistency was better because the finder - to ensure the evidence - had been so thoughtful to put it in the home frezer. The police was in that way able to see that the ice was blue.

“Perhaps the finder regret his obligingness when the authorities in Kastrup Airport solved the mystery. From the colour and consistency the authorities were sure that both of the found ice lumps were lavatory rinsing fluid from an aeroplane. It was probably thrown out in an altitude of about 10,000 feet, which is equal to 3 kilometers and caused by the high altitude it was frozen before it struck down in Tåstrup."

From the same article-

An ice lump of about 2 kg hit the ground few meters from two persons in Redsø near Hobro at about 11.20 a. m. At the same time two other supposed ice lumps were seen, falling about 2 kilometers from there, but without no trace on the ground.

An analysis from the picked up ice lump from Hobro showed that it consisted of a lot of soft water. It obviously came from a high flying airliner where the ice was made by a defect waste water tank. The aircraft mechanic will find immidately find such a defect after the landing and everything will be done to repair the defect before the plane's next take off. The crew is aware of the risk connected by detached ice lumps.

And to answer Johnny L.A.

A risk which was clearly shown by an engine damage in 1972 where detached ice from a defect waste water pipe shattered an engine on one of the airliners of Sterling Airways.
Scandinavian UFO Information

So, it appears to happen enough that it's a problem. And it also appears that "Ice Bombs" have been sucked into engines, without any major incident.

Interestingly, to me anyways, is the line, from the last article, "But it had to be an accident because the lavatories are normally not allowed to be drained off over land". Hmmm. It kind of leaves open the idea on whether or not they're allowed to empty the lavatories over water.

[CnoteChris]

This is oddly fascinating, considering it happens more than I previously had thought.

Two more for ya-

MUNICH, Sun. - German police opened an investigation yesterday after an angler complained he was doused with feces, apparently dropped from a low flying Airbus 320. The man was fishing near Straubing-Wallmuehle airport, northeast of Munich, when he was hit by "some very smelly stuff", police said. He complained of a burning itch and said he had vomited. - AFP

MADRID, Thurs. - A Spanish man narrowly escaped injury when a four-kg ball of ice thought to be frozen human excrement ejected from a passing aircraft fell on his car near the southern city of Seville, authorities said.
The man was about to enter the vehicle when a friend stopped him for a chat. The ball of ice, measuring 20 centimetres then plummeted out of a cloudless sky and crushed the car's bonnet. - Reuters

Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?

[Johnny L.A.]

It's a good thing they've never fallen on a sporting event. Then the shit would hit the fan(s)!

[Strainger]

Originally posted by ElvisL1ves

Seems to me I recall that happening 15-20 years ago on a 727. The deceleration and imbalance loads on the #3 engine actually tore it off (hint: that isn't supposed to happen).

It happened in the early 1990s in north Florida. The 727 was a Northwest Airlines jet. I was a co-op (similar to an intern) there at the time. And no, it wasn't my fault!