A serious right engine issue has emerged as a key focus in the investigation into a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 emergency that resulted in rapid cabin decompression and a passenger being partially pulled through a damaged window.
The aircraft was operating a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when the emergency occurred in North Macedonian airspace. According to the NTSB, the incident involved a problem with the Boeing 737’s right engine.
Investigators are now examining the sequence of events and whether the engine failure was directly connected to the cabin window damage. Reports and evidence from the aircraft have raised questions over damaged or missing engine fan blades and the possibility that debris escaped the engine casing.
In a severe engine failure, a fractured rotating component can release debris at extremely high speed. If the engine casing fails to contain the fragments, debris can strike the aircraft’s fuselage. Investigators are examining whether such debris hit the cabin window area, causing the window to become dislodged and triggering a rapid loss of cabin pressure.
During the decompression, a 61-year-old Serbian passenger seated near the damaged window was reportedly partially pulled through the opening. Fellow passengers grabbed the man and managed to pull him back into the cabin.
The flight crew turned the aircraft around and safely returned to Thessaloniki, where the passenger received medical treatment.
North Macedonian aviation authorities are leading the investigation because the incident occurred in the country’s airspace, with the NTSB assisting. The exact cause of the right engine failure and whether engine debris directly caused the window damage remain under investigation.
