A Ryanair aircraft experienced a harrowing incident last month following takeoff in Greece when broken engine parts caused a man’s head to be pulled towards a shattered window before fellow passengers rescued him, according to U.S. investigators. The mishap occurred when a fan blade detached from the Boeing 737-800’s right engine, leading to the window breakage and damage to the fuselage in multiple spots. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) received jurisdiction over the investigation under international aviation protocols at Greece’s request.
The episode unfolded on July 10 after the plane departed Thessaloniki in northern Greece. Investigators discovered bird remnants inside the engine, hinting that the aircraft may have collided with birds during takeoff, but the exact cause of the fan blade detachment remains undetermined. The 61-year-old passenger who got caught in the window suffered neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns.
Flight attendants recounted hearing loud vibrations, witnessing smoke or fog in the cabin, and observing the deployment of emergency oxygen masks. In response to the emergency, passengers assisted in pulling the man back inside the aircraft as he was partially lodged in the damaged window. Medical aid was promptly administered to the injured passenger once he was relocated to another seat.
Videos captured inside the plane depicted passengers utilizing oxygen masks due to the cabin’s pressure loss and the aftermath of the window rupture. Maintenance records revealed that the failed engine’s fan blades had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May 2026 and November 2025 without any identified damage. However, the NTSB noted four suspected bird strikes reported by flight crews on the same engine in the past year, with bird remnants discovered after two of them.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary received a reprimand from the NTSB for prematurely discussing the investigation’s focus on foreign object damage instead of considering other possibilities. Ryanair, Boeing, and CFM International, the engine manufacturer, are cooperating with the inquiry. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued directives in 2025 mandating enhancements to engine coverings on Boeing 737 aircraft to prevent similar incidents. Airlines were given until July 2028 to implement the required modifications, and the NTSB report indicated that the Ryanair plane had not undergone these changes yet.
The FAA may reassess the deadline for modifications following this incident, according to experts. The investigation continues, with the FAA supporting the NTSB’s efforts and committing to taking necessary safety measures based on the findings. The 737-800 involved in the incident, capable of accommodating up to 189 passengers, was originally delivered to Ryanair in 2008. Operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, the flight landed safely back in Thessaloniki after the emergency, with passengers returning to the terminal without further complications.
