Ryanair window incident linked to engine debris on takeoff
A passenger was seriously injured after an apparent engine failure on a Ryanair flight, with the airline suggesting foreign object damage and potential liability implications for both Ryanair and Boeing.
A Ryanair passenger was partially pulled through a broken aircraft window last month in an incident that the airline's chief executive said may have been caused by debris striking the engine during takeoff.
Michael O'Leary told reporters that an initial investigation into the 10 July flight from Thessaloniki to Germany points to "foreign object damage" to the engine. The Boeing 737, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, was 18 years old but had undergone a full service and overhaul within the past two years, O'Leary said.
Serbian national Ljubisa Karović suffered serious head and shoulder injuries when cabin pressure loss forced part of his body through the window. His wife, Svetlana Grković Maksimović, told BBC Serbia that she and two other passengers gripped his legs for several minutes before pulling him back inside. "His entire face was deformed and blood was pouring from his nose and mouth," she said.
The aircraft made an emergency landing and Karović was taken to hospital. Passengers reported hearing an explosion before the cabin depressurised.
The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with a draft report expected within 28 days. The outcome carries significant financial implications. If investigators confirm foreign object damage as the cause, questions over liability will centre on whether the incident resulted from a maintenance failure, a manufacturing defect, or circumstances beyond the carriers control.
For Ryanair, Europe's largest budget carrier, the episode tests the operational reputation of its Malta Air subsidiary. The unit operates a substantial portion of Ryanair's fleet under Maltese registration, a structure that has drawn scrutiny from labour regulators across the continent.
Boeing also faces potential exposure. The aerospace manufacturer has endured a turbulent period marked by quality control concerns and regulatory attention following previous incidents involving its 737 aircraft.
O'Leary cautioned that the investigation remains in its early stages. "We can't say that definitively," he said of the foreign object theory. The final determination of cause will shape the legal landscape for both companies as the injured passenger and other affected travellers consider potential claims.
