US safety board slams Ryanair CEO after passenger 'sucked out' of plane window
While some of us might struggle to understand aerophobia as we lie back in our seats and catch 40 winks, there are enough flying horror stories out there to see why it's one of the most common phobias.
2025's world of plane news was dominated by a series of harrowing incidents like the Potomac River crash and just one person surviving Air India Flight 171, with experts explaining why there appear to be more accidents than before.
While there were no fatalities on Ryanair flight FR1879, scenes of chaos exploded onboard when Ljubisa Karović was partially 'sucked out' of the plane's window around 30 minutes after taking off from Greece's Thessaloniki Airport.
The Boeing 737 NG aircraft was reportedly being operated by Ryanair subsidiary, Malta Air.
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Karović's wife explained how other passengers rushed to help her hold onto his legs as she thought: "If we die, we die together."
The plane returned to Thessaloniki Airport, and Ryanair vowed to launch an investigation, while a technical advisor for the family suggested a failure in one of the engines might've caused debris to shatter the cabin window and lead to a rapid loss of pressure that resulted in Karović being pulled out of his seat. Thankfully, it's said he was strapped in at the time.
Now, Reuters reports that the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a rare takedown of the airline and taken particular aim at outspoken Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary.
During its own probe, the NTSB said it hadn't ruled out the plane's age or service issues as the reason behind the incident, which contradicts an earlier statement made by O'Leary.
The airline boss seemed to somewhat brush off blame when he said initial findings suggested "foreign object damage" was the reason for the window malfunction.
Having previously clashed with Elon Musk, O'Leary is now being reprimanded by NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
In a letter to O'Leary and Capt. Frank Zammit, Chief Executive Officer of Malta's Bureau of Air Accident Investigation (BAAI), Homendy reiterated: "The NTSB has not made any such determination, and our investigators have not yet ruled out age or servicing issues as contributing to this event."
She also chastised O'Leary, saying that his comments violate the safety agency's rules on disclosure by parties involved in an investigation: "This letter serves as a reminder of the obligations that apply to Ryanair as a technical adviser to the investigation. Under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the NTSB has been delegated as the lead investigative authority for the accident investigation and thus, accredited representatives and their technical advisers may not release investigative information without the NTSB's express consent."
Saying that comments like this could "impact the integrity of the investigation," Homendy concluded by encouraging the Ryanair CEO to refrain from further comment.
Zammit and O'Leary were told to contact the NTSB if they have any further questions.
O'Leary previously said the Boeing 737 was 18 years old but maintained its engine had been fully serviced and overhauled within the last two years.
He promised a draft report would be issued in 28 days with a more detailed one to follow, but given his telling off from the NTSB, he might go a little quiet on the incident for the foreseeable future.