I assume this was from a plane flying overhead.
Why would a plane have any use for a lead bar? I can think of no conceivable reason why a lead bar would be used anywhere near aircraft including as part of maintenence.
Of course it could be from something else like a balloon or maybe a flying boat that needs ballast for some reason.
Odd shaped loads could require counterweights for trim?
They waited 2 days to call authorities?
It could be weight added to the airframe to balance it about the CG. Airplanes from around/before WWII sometimes had external counterweights on their control surfaces. Nowadays they are internal, where they exist.
Interesting. Just a note while the interested folks around here think about this, the volume of a 3 lb. bar is only around 8 in[sup]3[/sup] so it isn’t a big ass bar hurtling through the sky.
Here is a counterweight on an RV-7. You can see it at the leading edge, sticking out. (It will be covered by the elevator tip.) More images here.
“The world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds…”
From
Everyone’s a comedian.
Note that that links to an article on depleted uranium (which is considerably more dense than lead). It may be that some planes are using lead instead of DU.
As others said, a counterweight probably for some flight control or a push-pull rod or cable system. Heck I worked on an aircraft (F-111) that use depleted uranium for counterweights. More mass which basically means more weight in a smaller package.
Whoops. Just saw that Machine Elf beat me to it.
Pic here:
Back of it available on Google Images, but don’t see on page itself.
Story with front and back images
Oddly, the story contains this gem:
“Police called the Federal Aviation Administration, but the agency announced Thursday the object did not come from an aircraft.”
I think someone misinterpreted whatever they may have said because it’s impossible to say it didn’t come from an aircraft. They probably actually said “we have no reports of any aircraft losing anything.”
They probably wanted to tidy up before they had company over. I’m sure you know how that is.
Word on the street is it is a tub grinder tooth…
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/piece-mystery-metal-falls-sky-crashes-home/nYXhx/
http://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/10734650/Tub_grinder_tips.html
Not the first time this mistake has been made - another tub grinder tooth…
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/02files/Space_Debris_06.html
See about halfway down March 12, 2010
Now we know the real threat…
ETA: and another one…
And after waiting those two days they called 911. I don’t live in the US, but isn’t that number only for emergencies? Calling the local equivalent here (000) for a non-urgent matter would not make you at all popular with the authorities.
Is this based on the density of lead, I assume?
The tub grinder thing certainly seems a strong possibility except for the statement that the piece is lead.
I’m sure lead makes a poor grinding material
I’m pretty sure they didn’t test it - and are probably using “lead” as shorthand for heavy metal. At least that would be my guess. Is there an easy way to test for lead? Can a novice tell by looking at it? I don’t know the answers to either of those, but based on what I know about precious metals, my guess would be no.
