In short, deicing is necessary because snow and ice on airplane wings can decrease lift by as much as 30%. Lift is the vertical upward force that keeps a plane in the sky. It is generated when air ...

An FAA spokesperson said the investigation determined the 6-foot-by-3-foot ice chunk did not fall from a plane. "The FAA contacted airlines whose aircraft were operating in that area when the ...

While it is rare, ice can form on the outside of the aircraft, while Cruising at high altitudes as the plane descends into warmer air, these chunks can break away and fall to the ground.

This photo provided March 24, 2025, by Dale Eicher shows an airplane partially submerged into the ice of Tustumena Lake near Soldotna, Alaska, with the three survivors standing on the plane's wing.