Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Jul 21
Ryanair Says Foreign Object Likely Triggered 737 Engine Failure, Shattering Window at 15,000 Feet
Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Jul 21

Ryanair Says Foreign Object Likely Triggered 737 Engine Failure, Shattering Window at 15,000 Feet

3 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Jul 21

Summary

  • Michael O'Leary said an initial probe points to foreign object damage during takeoff from Thessaloniki as the likely cause of the July 10 engine failure and window break.
  • The 18-year-old Boeing 737 had an engine overhauled within the past two years, O'Leary said, adding a draft report is due in under a month.
  • Engine debris smashed a window about six minutes after departure, forcing the jet to descend from above 15,000 feet to around 6,000 feet and return to Thessaloniki after burning fuel.
  • A 61-year-old passenger was partly sucked out of the opening before his wife and other passengers pulled him back inside; he was hospitalized with neck, shoulder and friction-burn injuries.
  • The U.S. NTSB is investigating, and a finding of external-object damage could limit both Boeing's and Ryanair's responsibility for the incident.

Insights

As fuel costs soar and profits fall, can Ryanair maintain its safety standards without cutting corners?
With Boeing's history of safety issues, can travelers trust Ryanair's reassurances about its 737 fleet?
Beyond compensation, what changes are needed to protect passengers from future inflight structural failures?