Ryanair Flight Engine Failure Shattered Window and Injured Passenger

A passenger suffered serious injuries when a broken fan blade sent fragments flying into a Boeing 737-800 fuselage, shattering a window and causing a partial window blowout on a Ryanair flight in July. According to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board, the July 10 incident occurred shortly after the aircraft took off from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on a journey headed to Germany.

Emergency Landing After Fan Blade Failure in Greece

Investigators stated that a fan blade in the right engine broke loose during the flight, sending debris that damaged the fuselage in several places and shattered the window. The cabin rapidly lost pressure, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing back at the departure airport. The cockpit voice recorder captured a loud bang sound about nine minutes and twenty seconds after the start of the takeoff roll.

Passenger Rescue and Cabin Emergency

During the incident, a 61-year-old male passenger had his head and upper body partially sucked through the window opening. Fellow passengers managed to pull him back inside the cabin. The man sustained neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns.

Other passengers retrieved a metal box from the flight attendants and used it to try to block the opening until the plane could land. Video recordings captured by passengers on board showed individuals wearing oxygen masks following the sudden loss of cabin pressure, while post-landing footage showed first responders working in the aisle.

Bird Remains and Previous Engine History

Examinations of the engine revealed fractured fan blades, and three loose fan blade fragments were recovered. Investigators discovered bird remains, including feathers, inside the engine, suggesting the plane may have struck birds during takeoff, though authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the fan blade failure.

Ryanair Flight Engine Failure Shattered Window and Injured Passenger — Photo: Bloomberg.com

Flight crews had reported four suspected bird strikes to the same engine over the preceding 12 months, according to the NTSB. Maintenance records showed that bird remains were found after two of those prior cases, though subsequent maintenance inspections located no damage. Maintenance records also showed the fan blades in the right engine had undergone ultrasonic inspections in November 2025 and May 2026 with no damage found.

Safety Regulations and Regulatory Scrutiny

Greece turned the investigation over to U.S. safety agencies under international aviation rules. The NTSB is leading the inquiry with assistance from Boeing and CFM International, the engine maker. The investigative team is examining potential similarities to previous events, including an April 2018 engine failure on a Southwest Airlines flight where a passenger was killed after debris struck the fuselage and knocked out a window.

Svetlana Grkovic Maksimovic, wife of a Ryanair passenger partially sucked out of a broken window on a flight from Greece to — Photo: Reuters

Following prior incidents, the Federal Aviation Administration issued three directives requiring airlines to strengthen engine coverings on Boeing 737s, replace specific fasteners and spacers, and revise maintenance programs. The FAA originally gave airlines until July 2028 to complete the major modifications. The NTSB report confirmed that the required changes had not yet been made to the Ryanair plane involved in the July accident.