Now Reading: Ryanair engine blade shattered window, passenger pulled out: NTSB
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Ryanair engine blade shattered window, passenger pulled out: NTSB
Ryanair engine blade shattered window, passenger pulled out: NTSB
The NTSB has found that a fan blade broke off a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 just after takeoff from Thessaloniki on July 10, sending debris that shattered a window. A 61-year-old Serbian passenger…
The Story in Brief
The NTSB has found that a fan blade broke off a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 just after takeoff from Thessaloniki on July 10, sending debris that shattered a window. A 61-year-old Serbian passenger was partially sucked out of the hole; fellow passengers pulled him back inside. He suffered neck and shoulder injuries. Bird remains were found in the engine, and four suspected bird strikes had been reported in the past year on the same engine.
The NTSB reprimanded Ryanair's CEO for publicly speculating on the cause while the investigation was open. The broken blade showed fatigue cracking, and eight other blades had leading-edge damage. The plane had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May and November without finding defects.
The Indian Opinion
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary dismissed reports of a passenger being partially sucked out as 'salacious' and blamed foreign-object damage. The NTSB's finding of fatigue cracking in the broken fan blade now contradicts that. Indian readers should note that even recent ultrasonic inspections missed the crack. The key test will be whether the investigation forces a change in inspection protocols for older Boeing 737s, where fatigue may be harder to detect.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
