It has been revealed that a bird strike may have contributed to a terrifying incident in which a Ryanair passenger was allegedly partially pulled through a plane window.
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The incident involved 61-year-old Ljubisa Karovic during a July 10 flight from Greece to Germany operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.
Officials previously said a window became "dislodged inflight." Karovic, his partner and his lawyer allege that the resulting damage caused him to be partially pulled headfirst outside the aircraft.
Plane Bird Strike Investigated After Engine Failure
A preliminary report issued on Thursday by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board stated that a fan blade in the aircraft's right engine fractured during the flight.
Malta Air Flight 1879, a Boeing 737-8AS, was climbing past 16,000 feet when the incident occurred. Investigators are examining whether a bird strike contributed to the engine failure.
The fractured blade is believed to have separated from the engine before striking and shattering a nearby aircraft window.
The damage then caused a rapid depressurization inside the cabin.
Investigators discovered bird remains inside the damaged engine. The engine had also experienced four suspected bird strikes during the 12 months leading up to the July incident.
However, the investigation remains ongoing, and officials have yet to determine the exact cause of the engine failure.
Passenger Allegedly Left Partially Outside Aircraft
Previous reports stated that Karovic suffered burns and bruising to his right arm, extending from his armpit toward his chest.
He was also expected to wear a neck brace for at least six weeks as part of his recovery.
Karovic's wife, Svetlana Grkovic, previously said the aircraft had been in the air for around 30 minutes when the window became damaged.
She claimed her husband's body was "sticking out of the plane". She alleged that the terrifying ordeal lasted for around two minutes, during which he remained partially outside the aircraft.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary later disputed claims on a podcast that Karovic had been sucked out of the plane.
While O'Leary acknowledged that the incident was traumatic for those onboard, he rejected reports describing the passenger as being pulled through the damaged window.
He also addressed questions surrounding the aircraft's condition. He noted that while the Boeing 737 was 18 years old, its engine had undergone a full service and overhaul within the previous two years.
