Los Angeles couple says they were nearly crushed by ‘watermelon-size’ chunk of ice falling from JetBlue plane
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Exclusive: The projectile crashed through the roof of Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini’s Inglewood home, and slammed into their bedroom, just inches from their pillows, according to court filings obtained by The Independent. A Los Angeles couple narrowly escaped “devastating physical injury” when a watermelon-size chunk of ice plummeted from a commercial airliner passing overhead and smashed through the roof of their home, landing inches from their bed and leaving the pair in ongoing fear for their lives.
![[Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini say they have been forced to move from their “dream home” in Inglewood, which is just east of LAX]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/13/16/GettyImages-2191530519.jpg)
The ice fell from a JetBlue Airbus A321-231 traveling from New York City’s JFK International Airport to LAX, doing six-figures worth of physical damage and forcing the pair to move for fear of a repeat incident, according to a million-dollar lawsuit obtained by The Independent.
![[FAA inspectors allegedly found misthreaded fasteners connecting a valve that caused a leak, which then froze at altitude and broke free over Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini’s home]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/13/16/GettyImages-2051500008.jpg)
Following the terrifying near-miss, Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini would “cringe in fear with each plane that passed over their home which is approximately one every five minutes,” the complaint states. It says they can “no longer sleep comfortably… without thinking of the incident,” causing persistent insomnia that has had a real-world effect on their lives.
![[JetBlue says it is not responsible for the damage to Michael Reese and Leah Ferrarini’s home, as the carrier abided by federal regulations at all times]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/13/16/GettyImages-1975614474.jpg)
“The insomnia has forced… Reese to turn down work as a commercial driver in the TV and Film Industry,” the complaint goes on. “The incident has overall made them anxious and depressed, feeling unsafe in what was their dream home.”. In an email on Monday, a JetBlue spokesperson said, “At JetBlue, safety is our number one priority and guides everything we do. Due to ongoing litigation, we will not be commenting on this matter.”.
