FAA Examines Part That Fell Through Home

A mysterious object fell through a northern Virginia woman's home Friday morning and members of the Federal Aviation Administration were visiting her home on Saturday.

The FAA is trying to figure out if a piece of metal that crashed through an awning and landed in a dining room came from a plane.

"We have no idea if it's an aircraft part or where it came from and we have to investigate it," FAA investigator supervisor Barry Barbini said.

Homeowner Abby Baker said she found the piece of metal and the hole in her awning and her ceiling Friday morning when she returned from taking her child to school. Her house is in the flight path for aircraft from Dulles International Airport.

"At first, I thought maybe a gas pipe burst or something, and then i found this piece here that i thought maybe was a pipe from a gas pipe,” Baker said. “But when i had the gas company come out, they identified it as likely a piece of aircraft."

The piece of metal is about four inches long and weighs a couple of pounds.

Barbini said the FAA plans to have the National Transportation Safety Board analyze the object and send inspectors to Dulles on Monday.

"We need to do some ground work to see if any airlines have reported any incident with one of their aircraft," he said.

Baker said she's glad no one was hurt and hopes this never happens to her or anyone in the flight path area again.

"Had it been a little this way or a little that way it could have hit my dog. It could have hit the kids in the elementary school if they had been playing out over there,” she said. “And that's scary to me for sure."

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