Mid-Flight Crisis: Window Blowout Sparks Investigation

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into a Ryanair Boeing 737 incident where a passenger was partially sucked out over Greece. A broken engine part caused the damage. Comparisons are being drawn to similar Southwest Airlines incidents, yet initial findings suggest differences.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced they will head the investigation regarding a Ryanair Boeing 737 incident that occurred over Greece last week. The incident involved a passenger being partially ejected from a damaged window due to a piece of engine breaking off shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki.

Serbian national Ljubisa Karovic, the passenger involved, was hospitalized with injuries. This event has drawn parallels to two past Southwest Airlines incidents where window damage led to passengers being pulled. Despite similarities, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the recent event does not fully mimic prior Southwest issues.

The NTSB had previously advised Boeing to redesign the fan cowl on 737 NG aircraft following those incidents, sparking a directive from the FAA to be fulfilled by 2028. Ryanair, using CFM56 engines from CFM International on their 737 NG models, now faces a reevaluation as the investigation unfolds.