For the majority of flyers, delays and turbulence are the greatest sources of stress about flying. However, for a Ryanair air traveler, the flight went terribly wrong when a window was smashed.
The unfortunate fellow was Ljubisa Karović, a 61-year-old Serbian man taking a trip from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Memmingen (Germany). It has been reported that an acrylic window shattered on this flight due to some part of the plane engine falling onto the body of the aircraft. So the onboard pressure change almost made Karović fall out of the plane where he was helped by his wife and two other passengers.
It’s a story that is sure to make everyone speak about it because of its incredibility. Images of a plane in distress and making emergency landings make many passengers think of safety in aviation. But despite the alarming nature of the story, Ryanair still declares that commercial flying is the safest way of traveling.
The airline stated the aircraft involved was a Boeing 737, one of the most common passenger planes in aviation. Officials highlighted thousands of flights were successfully conducted using this model throughout history. They added that commercial aircraft go through thorough maintenance inspections and flight crews undergo thorough training to act in emergencies.
The plane itself was not seen as being disregarded. Ryanair said the aircraft was around eighteen years old, while its engines have undergone complete service within the past two years. This information is critical to the investigation, as the technicians try to find out what led to the failure.
Initial findings suggest that the engine might have been damaged due to a collision with a foreign object shortly after take-off. Nevertheless, the investigators pointed out that it is just a preliminary assumption. The authorities did not determine the cause yet, and the investigation is ongoing.
Due to the depressurization of the cabin, emergency landing was performed by the crew to safeguard passengers onboard. Although, the seriousness of the situation was alarming, admirable response proved that good training, crew and safety systems enable professionals to cope with crisis situations even under extreme pressure.
The incident recalls many aviation specialists about other similar Boeing 737 incidents involving Southwest Airlines in 2016 and 2018. History repeated itself as both incidents occurred due to malfunction of engines resulting in the damage of parts of the aircraft which required thorough analysis of maintenance log books and operational procedures. Each accident has its specificity but it is not possible to avoid comparisons.
0Australian aviation statistics do not provide much comfort for passengers who experienced the moment when somebody was almost sucked out of the window.
Following the incident, Ryanair has stated that they have kept in touch with the family involved in the event. They are still discussing compensation options but have not yet moved into that discussion since they want to wait for the independent inquiry for further information on what transpired.
In the meantime, investigative authorities such as the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) keep looking into the incident. Thus, there is some time to wait for the first report in a few weeks and more investigation to clarify the timeline of the event and what safety measures should be recommended.
While most air disasters make headlines, it is important to remember that flying is still one of the safest travel options.
