A prison warden reports that a 25 pound piece of ice fell into an empty exercise yard at his prison.

Attributes
ACN	237990
Time
Date	199205
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	KS
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	237990
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

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 pilot, 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 pilots think of the danger it causes to us and to our passenger. As the attached incident report (an internal form for reporting accidents) shows, ice on aircraft can pose a significant safety risk for those on the ground even if it doesn't bring down the plane. The report reads: 'at approximately XA00 hours on may/sun/92 reporting officer was closing medium yard (the exercise area for medium custody inmates) when he heard a loud noise coming from the sky above tower X. At this time reporting officer observed a large object falling from the sky. The object hit the ground just west of tower X and broke into large pieces of ice. The ice pieces spread to around a 30 ft radius of where the object landed. Reporting officer estimates that the solid piece of ice weighted 25 pounds.' we assume the ice must have come from a passenger jet as we are approximately 15 mi west of kansas city international and we are in the approach and departure 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.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 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.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.