NTSB rebukes Ryanair CEO over comments on ongoing Boeing 737 engine failure investigation

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has criticised Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary for publicly suggesting that a preliminary investigation into a Boeing 737-800 engine failure pointed to foreign object damage. The safety agency stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that it has not ruled out aircraft age or maintenance-related factors.

The incident occurred on 10 July when an uncontained engine failure shortly after take-off from Thessaloniki caused engine debris to shatter a cabin window, leading to a loss of cabin pressure and an emergency landing. A passenger was reportedly partially sucked towards the broken window.

In a letter to O’Leary, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said his remarks breached the agency’s rules governing public comments by parties involved in an investigation and urged him to refrain from further speculation.

O’Leary had stated that the 18-year-old aircraft’s engine had been overhauled within the past two years and said an initial report was expected within about four weeks. The incident has drawn comparisons with Southwest Airlines engine failures in 2016 and 2018, although the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) believes early evidence suggests the Ryanair event is unlikely to have the same underlying cause.