Ryanair Says Broken Window May Have Been Caused By Foreign Object

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said an initial investigation suggests a 10 July incident on a flight between Greece and Germany may have been caused by foreign object damage to an engine on takeoff at Thessaloniki, according to BBC. He said the airline cannot yet confirm that conclusion. The aircraft was an 18-year-old Boeing 737 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air. Serbian national Ljubisa Karović was partially sucked out of a window, leaving him seriously injured and in shock, after the plane made an emergency landing. His wife told BBC Serbia that she and two other passengers held his legs for several minutes as they pulled him back inside. O'Leary said the engine had been fully serviced and overhauled in the last two years. The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and O'Leary said a draft report would be issued in about 28 days. He said a finding that an external object caused the damage could affect Ryanair or Boeing's liabilities.