U.S. NTSB Takes Lead in Investigation of Ryanair Flight Window Failure
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has assumed primary responsibility for probing a July 10 incident in which a window detached from a Ryanair-operated flight over Greece, causing cabin decompression and injuring a passenger.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Thursday that it is now leading the investigation into a Ryanair-operated flight that experienced a window failure shortly after departing from Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 10. The incident occurred in Greek airspace, prompting the handover of the probe from Greece’s Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority to the U.S. agency, with Greek officials continuing to participate.
The flight, operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, was en route to Memmingen, Germany, when a window became dislodged, leading to rapid cabin decompression. Passengers reported a loud noise, the deployment of oxygen masks and a loss of altitude. A 61-year-old passenger sustained neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns, according to a Greek hospital spokesperson; his current medical status was not immediately known.
The NTSB said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 delivered to Ryanair in 2008, had climbed to about 15,000 feet before descending to roughly 6,000 feet within minutes of takeoff. The plane then flew at the lower altitude for about 30 minutes to burn fuel before returning to Thessaloniki about an hour after departure.
"The seat belt can help in those first few seconds. It’s a difference maker and people should keep their seat belts fastened at all times," said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain and Georgetown University professor, noting that such rapid decompression events are rare.
Ryanair has not commented on the engine issue previously reported by the NTSB, reiterating only that the flight returned to Thessaloniki after the window incident.