Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary stated on Monday that an initial investigation into a recent window breach pointed to foreign object damage, potentially linked to the aircraft’s age or maintenance history.
He added that, while early signals suggested foreign object damage to the engine during takeoff from Thessaloniki, the cause cannot be confirmed with certainty.
O’Leary noted that the aircraft was 18 years old and that its engine had undergone a complete service and overhaul within the past two years.
WHY A BLOWN-OUT PLANE WINDOW NEARLY SUCKED A PASSENGER OUTSIDE AT 16,000 FEET
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the aircraft was 18 years old and that the engine had been fully serviced and overhauled within the last two years. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
He also indicated that a preliminary report on the incident would be published within a month, with a more comprehensive analysis to follow.
On July 10, a fragment from a Boeing 737 engine detached shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece, and struck a cabin window on the flight bound for Memmingen, Germany, as captured in video footage and reported by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft experienced a loss of pressure and executed an emergency landing.
RYANAIR ‘RELUCTANTLY’ ENDS MANDATORY FEE FOR PARENTS TO SIT WITH CHILDREN AMID INVESTIGATION
A passenger was partly sucked out of the aircraft, but his wife and other passengers were able to grab him and pull him back inside. (Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
One passenger was partially expelled from the aircraft, but his wife and several other passengers managed to pull him back aboard.
The 61‑year‑old passenger was hospitalized with neck, shoulder and friction injuries.
Flight data indicate that the aircraft, delivered new to Ryanair in 2008, climbed above 15,000 feet within six minutes of departure, then descended to roughly 6,000 feet, remained at that altitude for about 30 minutes to burn fuel, and returned to Thessaloniki roughly an hour after takeoff, per Flightradar24.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
If the investigation determines that external damage contributed, it may mitigate liability for both Boeing and Ryanair.
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