- A California couple is suing JetBlue for $1 million.
- They say a block of ice fell from a plane and crashed through their ceiling.
- The suit says they suffer from insomnia due to fear of planes flying overhead.
A couple is suing JetBlue for $1 million, saying that a block of ice fell from a plane and through their ceiling.
In the complaint filed earlier this month, Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini say they were in their Inglewood, California home as a JetBlue Airbus A321 flying from Los Angeles to New York passed overhead last January.
The lawsuit says that shortly after 8 p.m., a block of ice the size of a watermelon crashed through the roof and landed over their bed.
It adds that police and the fire service were called to their home, and the Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation.
After the incident, Reese and Ferrarini would “cringe in fear with each plane that passed over their home which is approximately one every five minutes,” the suit says.
It adds that they can no longer sleep comfortably and suffer from insomnia. They are also looking to “move from their dream home because they no longer feel safe there,” per the complaint.
The FAA’s investigation found that the aircraft had a history of potable water issues dating back six months, the suit says. It adds that the same A321 was suspected of dropping ice onto a home in Massachusetts in August 2023.
Ten days after the incident, inspections began on the plane’s potable water system, where it was found that a valve flange was misaligned, causing a leak, per the suit.
The plaintiffs accuse JetBlue of negligence and trespass, the latter of which because they “did not grant JetBlue permission to allow the large chunk of ice to enter their home or cause damages.”
They are asking for $300,000 for emotional distress, $300,000 for pain, suffering, and inconvenience, $40,000 in medical expenses, and $360,000 in property damages.
In a response filed in court, attorneys for JetBlue said the airline wasn’t liable for the incident and its conduct was “pursuant to statutes, governmental regulations, and industry standards.”
They also asked that the airline be awarded the costs of the suit including attorneys’ fees.
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside US working hours.
