‘Foreign object damage.’ – Michael O’Leary on Thessaloniki incident

Michael O’Leary stated initial findings suggested foreign object damage to the engine.
A draft report will be issued in approximately 28 days.
Ljubisa Karovic was partly sucked out the window on a flight to Germany.
His wife and two passengers pulled him back into the cabin.
The FAA stated a piece of engine broke off and smashed the window.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has stated an initial finding from an investigation into an incident in which a passenger was partly sucked out of a Boeing 737’s broken window suggested “foreign object damage.” O’Leary stated the initial indication suggested foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff at Thessaloniki, but noted the finding was not definitive. He added that a draft report on the incident would be issued in approximately 28 days, followed by a more detailed report.

A 61-year-old Serbian national, Ljubisa Karovic, was almost sucked out the window of a Ryanair flight after it detached mid-air en route to Germany. His wife stated her husband was wearing his seatbelt, which stopped him from being completely ejected, while she and two other passengers managed to pull him back into the cabin. The plane lost cabin pressure and was forced to make an emergency landing.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration stated a piece of engine broke off the Boeing 737 NG and smashed the window shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki in Greece on 10 July.

Michael O’Leary shared, “Initial indication would suggest it looks like a foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff at Thessaloniki, but we don’t have, we can’t say that definitively.”