Ryanair CEO Disputes Passenger Was Partly Sucked Out of 737 Window

A dispute over the language used to describe a frightening cabin-decompression event has become a public clash between Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary and the preliminary record of the safety investigation.

O’Leary said he did not believe Serbian passenger Ljubisa Karović was partly outside the aircraft. “We don’t think any part of his body got out the window,” he said, while acknowledging that Karović had been injured and was “certainly sucked” toward the opening in dramatic circumstances. 720

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report does not determine a final cause, but it records that Karović was partially lodged in the damaged window after debris from the aircraft’s right engine penetrated the fuselage. 3233

What happened on Flight FR1879

Malta Air Flight 1879, operating for Ryanair from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, suffered a right-engine fan-blade separation while climbing on July 10. The NTSB’s preliminary findings say engine fragments penetrated the pressurized fuselage at the row-11 passenger window and at a lower-fuselage location, producing a rapid depressurization. 3233

The aircraft returned to Thessaloniki after the crew declared an emergency. Reporting on the preliminary findings says the event occurred at about 16,000 feet and that the crew descended, used oxygen masks, shut down the affected engine, and landed safely. 113

What the preliminary report says about Karović’s rescue

Karović was seated at 11F, next to the window that was lost. The NTSB’s preliminary account says a flight attendant found him partially lodged in the opening and that other passengers pulled him back into the cabin. 32

He was moved away from the opening, and a doctor who was a passenger provided first aid until landing, according to reporting based on the investigation. His injuries were classified as serious; published accounts described injuries to his head, neck and shoulder, as well as friction burns and shock. 1836

The distinction matters because O’Leary is disputing whether any part of Karović’s body crossed outside the aircraft, while the preliminary report documents his partial lodging in the missing window. The report is not a final finding, and the NTSB says its investigation information remains preliminary and may change. 73233

Why the NTSB objected to O’Leary’s earlier comments

Before the preliminary report was released, O’Leary publicly suggested the engine damage pointed to “foreign object damage” and said it was not related to the aircraft’s age or servicing. The NTSB responded that it had not made that determination and warned against public opinion or analysis by parties involved in an active international investigation. 1722

That warning was about the integrity of the investigation, not a final judgment on the cause. The NTSB’s preliminary report does not assign probable cause. 3233

The unresolved engine and safety questions

Investigators found bird remains, including feathers, in the affected engine. The aircraft had also logged four suspected bird strikes involving that engine in the preceding 12 months, and inspections after those events found no damage, according to reporting on the preliminary report. Those findings make bird ingestion an investigative issue, not an established explanation for the fan-blade failure. 323545

The fan blades had undergone ultrasonic inspections, including one in May 2026, with no reported fault found. 45

The NTSB also said the fan-cowl hardware had not yet incorporated enhanced fasteners and an external doubler specified in FAA Airworthiness Directive 2025-04-02. The report notes this condition as part of the aircraft’s configuration; it does not, by itself, conclude that the missing modification caused the accident. 3233

Compensation and the shareholder backdrop

O’Leary said Karović was entitled to compensation but rejected the prospect of a payout in the “millions and millions.” The ultimate compensation outcome was not established in the materials reviewed. 20

His latest comments came as Ryanair shareholders approved a remuneration plan that could yield at least €150 million for O’Leary, though 39.3% of votes cast opposed it. The plan received 60.7% support. 5157

For now, the central safety question remains open: the preliminary report establishes the sequence from engine failure to fuselage breach and depressurization, but the NTSB has not issued a final cause. 3233