Ryan Air Prelim: Boeing History Repeats Itself

What would you do if you were sitting in the window seat of an airplane—and suddenly the window next to you shattered? That’s exactly what happened aboard Ryanair Flight 1879 last month. A passenger was sitting next to the window when a fan blade separated from the right engine, and debris struck the airplane, shattering the window and causing a rapid cabin depressurization. The passenger was partially pulled into the opening but survived. Now, the preliminary investigation report is out—and we finally have our first detailed look at what happened, what failed inside that CFM56 engine, and how an engine failure ultimately resulted in a passenger window being blown out. Let’s break down Ryanair Flight 1879.