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NTSB Rebukes Ryanair CEO for Premature Comments on Engine Failure Accident
The U.S. NTSB has accused Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary of breaching international rules after he speculated publicly about causes of a July 10 engine failure and window blowout on a Boeing 737-800 flight over Greece.
The gist
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary violated international investigation rules by prematurely commenting on the cause of a serious engine failure incident.
On July 10, a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 experienced a catastrophic right engine failure shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece, during flight FR-1879 to Memmingen, Germany. The uncontained engine failure propelled debris towards the fuselage, shattering a cabin window and causing an explosive depressurization. A 61-year-old passenger seated next to the damaged window was partially ejected but avoided serious injury. Pilots declared an emergency and returned safely to Thessaloniki.
Immediately following the incident, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary made public statements attributing the failure to foreign object damage in the engine, dismissing aircraft age or maintenance issues as contributing factors. These comments were made during a scheduled earnings call, where O'Leary indicated that the initial indications pointed towards debris impact inside the engine.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) assumed lead in investigating the accident at the request of Greek authorities, given that the incident occurred involving a U.S.-manufactured Boeing aircraft operated by Ryanair. The NTSB is responsible for determining the causes of aviation accidents involving U.S. built aircraft worldwide.
In response to O'Leary's statements, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy sent a formal letter reminding Ryanair of the obligations under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Annex 13 governs the conduct of aircraft accident investigations and authorizes accredited representatives and technical advisers to participate but restricts unauthorized disclosure of information.
Homendy emphasized that Ryanair and Malta Air (the aircraft's registered operator, a Ryanair subsidiary) were designated as accredited representatives and technical advisors. Under Annex 13 rules, these parties are prohibited from releasing any opinions or investigative details without express permission from the lead investigative agency, in this case, the NTSB.
The NTSB underscored that no definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the accident have been made. The agency has not ruled out the possibility that aircraft age or servicing had a role, contrary to O'Leary's public dismissal. The Chairwoman warned that O'Leary's premature comments could jeopardize the integrity of the ongoing investigation, urging restraint in further public speculation.
As it stands, the Boeing 737-800 involved remains grounded pending the investigation's progress. Investigators aim to uncover not only the cause of the engine failure but also the mechanism by which debris caused the window to blow out. A preliminary report is anticipated within weeks, although a comprehensive final report may take several months to complete.
This situation highlights the sensitive nature of accident investigations and the strict protocols designed to ensure impartiality and accuracy. The NTSB's intervention serves as a reminder to all involved parties of their legal obligations under international aviation law to refrain from unsubstantiated public commentary during investigations.
Frequently asked questions
- Why did the NTSB criticize Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary?
- The NTSB criticized O'Leary for violating Annex 13 of ICAO by publicly speculating on the cause of the July 10 engine failure accident without authorization from investigators.
- What was the nature of the accident involving the Ryanair Boeing 737-800?
- The aircraft suffered an uncontained engine failure shortly after takeoff, resulting in debris breaking a cabin window and partially ejecting a passenger, but the plane landed safely.
- Who is leading the investigation into the Ryanair accident and why?
- The U.S. NTSB is leading the investigation at the request of Greek authorities because the incident involved a U.S.-manufactured Boeing aircraft operated by Ryanair.
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NTSB probes right engine starter generator failure in fatal Laredo NetJets Citation crash
Pilots aboard the Cessna Citation Latitude that crashed in Laredo, Texas, in June reported detecting an unusual vibration in the aircraft shortly after takeoff from Los Cabos, Mexico (MMSD), according to the preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The aircraft, owned by fractional ownership company NetJets , was heading for Austin, Texas, when the flight crew notified the NetJets flight operations duty manager (FODM) about what they described as a "low frequency vibration and a humming noise. It sounds like a fan is on." The pilots stated they could feel it in the dashboard, saying it was steady during the climb but went away when the aircraft entered cruise flight. According to the NTSB report, NetJets maintenance control joined the call. READ MORE: NetJets Crash in Texas Kills 1, Injures 5 READ MORE: NetJets Takes Delivery of First Bombardier Global 8000 The captain stated that the vibration was "intermittent for a while, and now it is gone." "During the discussion, the flight crew received a Crew Alerting System (CAS) message related to the Air Data Computer (ADC), 'BOTH ON ADC 1.' The maintenance controller suggested that the vibration might be caused by an avionics cooling fan in the forward instrument panel. This idea was reinforced by the CAS message." The captain noted the vibration appeared to be cycling on and off, and asked if the vibration could be the ADC related to the fan. The crew continued to troubleshoot the issue, accomplishing the quick reference handbook procedure for the CAS message, and subsequently cleared the message. "After further discussion with the maintenance controller and FODM, it was determined that the flight could safely proceed to its planned destination and write up the vibration once the flight was completed," the report said. Around 10 p.m. CDT, as the airplane approached the U.S.-Mexico border, the flight crew received a "FUEL BST PUMP ON R" CAS message, which indicated the right fuel system had low fuel pressure. A few seconds later they received a "FUEL PRESS LOW R" CAS message, which indicated that the right fuel system pressure was low. Approximately three minutes later, two more CAS messages were displayed: "ELEC TRU FAIL R" and "WSHLD HEAT INOP R". Eleven minutes later, a "FUEL LEVEL LOW R" message was displayed. The flight crew declared an emergency with the Monterrey (Mexico) Area Control Center and was subsequently handed off to Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) as they entered U.S. airspace. On the initial check-in with the Houston ARTCC, the flight crew reported a generator failure and "multiple other failures," and issues including "fuel level low." The crew requested to divert to Laredo International Airport in Texas, and were cleared to KLRD via radar vectors. When asked if they were ready for the approach or if they needed time to execute checklists, the flight crew stated that they were ready and requested a visual approach to a 5-mile final for Runway 36L. Houston ARTCC gave the crew a right 270-degree turn to allow them to lose altitude and get established on a 14-mile final to Runway 36L. The flight crew made contact with the tower at KLRD. While the airplane was on final approach, the right engine flamed out, followed a few seconds later by the left engine. The first officer, who was the pilot monitoring, asked ATC, "Is there a field off to our right?" ATC replied, "Negative, there are no other fields next to you." The first officer then asked if there were any open pastures or fields to their right and ATC replied, "It's just going to be the main highway, and that's just about it." The NTSB reports that video collected from several security and doorbell cameras show the airplane was on fire as it was on final approach. The flight touched down on the northbound lanes of Texas State Highway Loop 20, approximately 1 mile southeast of the airport. There was vehicular traffic on the road at the time. The jet sheared off several light poles and struck a vehicle before coming to a stop, straddling the edge of an overpass. The airplane came to rest laying on its right side with the rear cabin emergency exit on the ground and the main cabin door exit oriented upward. Good samaritans and law enforcement rushed to the burning wreckage, trying to break the windows to rescue the people inside. Eventually they were able to force open the main cabin door to rescue the five occupants. Local media reported there was a minor injury to a motorist and to police officers who assisted in the rescue. There were five minor injuries and one serious one to the occupants of the aircraft. The one fatality was identified as Joshua Baer, co-founder and CEO of Capital Factory, an Austin-based company created to help local entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses in Texas. Baer spent 20 years making Capital Factory one of the Lone Star State's most influential startup incubators and venture networks, connecting founders with investors, mentors, and corporate partners. Investigators Focus on Right Engine The wreckage was moved to a hangar for study. During the teardown of the engines, the NTSB investigation found the right engine starter generator was missing multiple screws from the outer housing. The starter generator interval overhaul was 1,200 hours, with the last one performed April 25, 2025. NTSB investigators noted the unit had 57.2 hours of time remaining until its next overhaul. Agency investigators removed the starter generator and found its shaft was bent and the cooling fan fractured. Multiple cooling fan blades and ball bearings were found when the generator was removed. There were circumferential scoring marks in the cooling fan shroud. The fuel tube assembly, starter generator, and multiple components were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for further analysis. The NTSB stressed that this information on the accident is preliminary. The final report is still several months away. The complete NTSB preliminary report can be found here .
Lufthansa 787 Nose Gear Retracts Accidentally at Frankfurt Due to Missing Downlock Pin
German investigators found that the nose landing gear downlock pin was not installed before a Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 retracted unexpectedly at Frankfurt Airport on June 4. The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation said 23 people were injured, including two seriously, and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Technicians Conducted Maintenance Test The Lufthansa 787 had arrived from Austin, Texas, and was being prepared for a flight to Los Angeles. Two technicians were troubleshooting an unresolved issue involving the main landing gear doors when the nose gear retracted immediately after they moved the landing gear lever. Proper maintenance procedures directed technicians to install the landing gear downlock pins before operating the lever. Investigators found the nose gear pin and its red warning flag inside a storage box in the avionics compartment. Four downlock pins had been installed correctly on the main landing gear. Aircraft Struck High Loader The Lufthansa 787’s nose, along with both engine cowlings, struck the concrete below. The forward fuselage also pressed down on a cargo high loader, injuring one person and damaging the loader and cargo-door area. Recovery crews drained about 60,000 kilograms of fuel before they lifted the nose back up with an air cushion. The nose gear extended and locked as the aircraft was raised. The BFU has not issued a probable-cause determination, and the investigation remains open. IR26-0454_1X_Boeing787 Download
Passenger refuses to sit beside woman citing Sharia law, assaults flight attendant on Turkey-Germany flight
A German resident of Turkish descent was arrested upon landing on a flight from Turkey to Germany, after he refused to sit next to a female seat mate, only to then punch the flight attendant when she tried to help with the situation. The guy then proceeded to insult police officers in Turkish, leading to even more charges… talk about awful behavior. Passenger causes commotion on Turkey to Germany flight German media is reporting on an incident that happened on June 1, 2026, on a flight from Samsun, Turkey (SZF), to Dusseldorf, Germany (DUS). This happened on a SunExpress flight, with that being a leisure airline that's a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. According to reports, the 29-year-old man ended up in a situation where he was sitting next to a female, which he wasn't comfortable with, claiming it was in violation of Sharia law. When the flight attendant confronted him, he reportedly punched her in the face. German Federal Police were called to the airport in Dusseldorf shortly before 7AM, to take a report of the assault. A criminal complaint was subsequently filed. The passenger confessed to the crime, though the conversation didn't go smoothly. The man reportedly insulted the police officers in Turkish, thinking they wouldn't understand. However, since one of the officers spoke Turkish, the man received an additional charge of insult, beyond his charge of assault. One detail that's not known is the context in which he ended up sitting next to a woman. Like, how did this incident only happen while the plane was in the air, and not on the ground in Turkey, before departure, since presumably he would've been offloaded at that point? This incident happened on a SunExpress flight This situation is obviously terrible on all levels Even as someone who isn't really religious, I think people are entitled to there sincerely held religious beliefs. However, if your religious beliefs impact the ability of others to go about their day, I think it's on the person with the religious beliefs to make accommodations, rather than putting that burden on others. On the topic of Sharia law, as you'd expect, different people have different interpretations. The idea is that direct contact and interaction with the opposite gender (if not related by blood, marriage, etc.) is only allowed for necessity. I guess the idea here is that if you're sitting next to someone on a plane you could accidentally touch, and that was presumably an issue for him. Now, let me point out that not all people with that general belief system interpret things that way, and many will view it as being fine to sit next to someone of the opposite gender on a plane. If this is really how the guy felt, he should've purchased an extra seat (which SunExpress allows) to prevent any potential touch. Of course the irony here is that he was so concerned about inadvertently making contact with a female, only to then… slap a female, which I'm pretty sure would qualify as direct contact. Then the icing on the cake here is that he insulted the police officers, which is a criminal offense in Germany, and it can even lead to imprisonment. Ouch all around… This guy should've purchased an extra seat, if it was so important Bottom line A passenger on a SunExpress flight had quite the meltdown, when he first refused to sit next to a woman, only to then punch the flight attendant when she tried to intervene. When the flight was met by police in Germany, he then insulted the officers, which is also a crime in Germany. While I respect sincerely held religious beliefs, this guy was 100% in the wrong on all counts here, and I imagine he'll be held accountable for his behavior. What do you make of this flight seating incident?
Oregon launches comprehensive public drone pilot training and testing framework
The Oregon Department of Aviation released a training and testing template July 10 for public agencies that operate drones. This new template provides additional model standards that public agencies may adopt and customize for pilot qualifications, recurrent training and public-safety missions. Training Beyond Part 107 The FAA requires Part 107 certificate holders to complete online recurrent training every 24 calendar months, in an effort to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency. Oregon's document goes further by adding written test questions, practical flight evaluations, emergency drills, airspace-deconfliction exercises, privacy and public-records training, maintenance requirements and launch-decision checklists. "This is the next step in building safe and accountable public agency drone programs in Oregon," Oregon Department of Aviation Director Kenji Sugahara said. "A policy tells an agency what the rules are. Training and testing show whether people can actually apply those rules in the field. That matters when drones are being used near roads, bridges, neighborhoods, emergency scenes, firefighters, patients, helicopters, or disaster areas." Public-Agency Requirements Oregon law already requires public bodies to register public-use drones with the state aviation department and submit annual reports. Those reports must summarize how frequently the aircraft were used, explain the primary purposes of the flights and direct the public to the agency's drone policies. Educational institutions register as drone users rather than registering each aircraft. The template is designed for cities, counties, state agencies, fire departments, emergency managers, transportation departments and other public bodies. Optional sections address Drone as First Responder programs, fire and EMS support, search and rescue, emergency management, mutual aid, remote operations and FAA-authorized flights beyond visual line of sight. The department said the document does not create new flight authority, authorize law enforcement activity or permit operations beyond FAA limits.
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