Chunk of ice from passing plane leaves gaping hole in roof of Calgary home

Calgary fire officials say they've determined that a large piece of ice that crashed through the roof of a home in the city came from a passing airplane.

Emergency crews were called to the home on Friday night by the occupants of the home, who thought there had been some kind of explosion.

When police arrived, they found a ball of ice had crashed through the building right to the basement, leaving a gaping hole in the roof.

The ice fractured on impact but firefighters at the scene suspect it had an original diameter of about 30 centimetres.

Fortunately, the homeowners were in a different room when it happened and weren't hurt.

Firefighters have preserved the chunk of ice for further investigation.

One fire department spokesman said the home is beneath a designated flight path.

"We determined it to be a piece of ice that fell from an overhead plane that was passing by," said battalion Chief Paul LeBlanc.

"This is the first time in my 36 years of working for the Calgary Fire Department that I've heard of this happening."

The ongoing police investigation into the matter is set to include consultation with the Calgary Airport Authority.