Burst tyre on Ryanair flight – pilots decide to continue flight

Ryanair has often been the subject of negative headlines in recent years, especially regarding failure to meet the safety standards of aircrafts. We recently received an email from a passenger describing a disturbing experience on board the low-cost airline.

Said passenger travelled on the 21st September from Lanzarote to Eindhoven (The Netherlands) on flight FR 5857. During the taxiing of the aircraft on the runway, there was an ear-splitting bang and the plane came to a sudden halt. ”Passengers in the back began to panic as it became clear that one of the tyres had burst “reported the passenger. Much to their surprise however, the aircraft continued along the runway eventually taking off. When passengers tried to find out what had happened, cabin crew claimed it was merely a “bump” on the runway, and therefore nothing to worry about. After a less than smooth landing at Eindhoven airport, passengers were welcomed by the fire brigade which immediately began extinguishing as soon as the aircraft had touched the ground.

Luckily enough nobody was wounded during this incident, though it is safe to say that passengers were in major distress. “As we disembarked, it was clear to see that the tyre had indeed burst and that the pilot had endangered the safety of more than 200 passengers” The picture below was taken by one of the passengers. “We were shooed off the scene by airport security who absolutely did not want us taking pictures.

A mistake or carelessness?

The question remains: Were the pilots fully aware of what had happened and more so, should they have discontinued take-off? Investigations continue in order to determine whether or not the responsible crew was aware of a technical malfunction.

The following documentary gives an insight into Ryanair practices.