Broken engine components caused a window on a Ryanair aircraft to shatter shortly after departure in Greece last month, resulting in a passenger’s head being drawn out through the opening before being rescued by other travelers, as per U.S. investigators on Thursday.
According to a preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a fan blade from the right engine of the Boeing 737-800 dislodged, leading to debris that broke the window and inflicted damage on multiple parts of the fuselage.
Greece handed over the investigation to the U.S. agency in line with international aviation regulations. The incident occurred on July 10 post the plane’s takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece. Investigators discovered bird remains inside the engine, hinting that the aircraft may have collided with birds during takeoff, although the cause of the fan blade detachment remains undetermined.
The 61-year-old passenger whose head was sucked out of the window suffered neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns. Flight attendants recounted hearing loud vibrations and observing smoke or mist filling the cabin before the deployment of the plane’s emergency oxygen masks.
When passengers noticed the man in a Row 11 window seat partially lodged in the damaged window, they managed to pull him back inside the cabin. The injured passenger was then relocated to Row 12 for medical attention, with other passengers using a metal box to cover the opening until the plane landed.
Several short videos taken inside the aircraft depicted passengers wearing oxygen masks after a loss of cabin pressure. One video showed the blown-out window, with a man wearing an oxygen mask nearby, and another displayed first responders working in the aisle post landing.
Maintenance records indicated that the fan blades in the failed right engine had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May 2026 and November 2025 without any identified damage. However, four suspected bird strikes were reported by flight crews on the same engine over the past year, with bird remains found after two incidents.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary was recently reprimanded by the NTSB for prematurely discussing the investigation’s focus on foreign object damage rather than the aircraft’s age or maintenance history. O’Leary was informed that he lacked the authority to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Ryanair, Boeing, and CFM International, the engine manufacturer, stated that they are cooperating with the investigation. The FAA had issued three directives in the previous year mandating airlines to reinforce certain parts of engine coverings on Boeing 737s after previous fan blade failures.
These directives, effective since April 2025, necessitate modifications to prevent engine covering components from breaking away in case of a fan blade separation. The FAA gave airlines until July 2028 to complete the required modifications, which had not been implemented on the Ryanair plane involved in the recent incident.
The FAA may reconsider the deadline following the latest accident, with potential adjustments based on the investigation’s findings. The agency refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation, emphasizing its support for the NTSB and readiness to take necessary safety measures accordingly.
The aircraft involved, a 737-800 capable of accommodating up to 189 passengers, was delivered to Ryanair in 2008. Flight data indicated that the plane ascended to over 4,570 meters before descending to approximately 1,830 meters to burn fuel before returning to Thessaloniki about an hour post-takeoff.
Operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair, the flight proceeded normally, and passengers disembarked back at the terminal without further incident.