A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that a mechanical failure caused a cabin window to shatter on a Ryanair flight last month, resulting in a passenger being partially sucked out of the plane. The incident occurred on July 10 during a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.
According to the NTSB, the aircraft experienced a failure in its right engine’s fan blade shortly after takeoff. The resulting debris struck the fuselage, smashing a cabin window. Serbian national Ljubisa Karović was caught in the breach, with his head and right shoulder pulled through the opening. His wife, Svetlana Grković Maksimović, later recounted to Serbia that she and two other passengers managed to hold onto his legs for several minutes to prevent him from being fully ejected. Mr. Karović was left in shock and sustained serious injuries.
The NTSB, which was granted full authority over the investigation by Greek officials, detailed the flight crew’s response to the emergency. During the initial climb, pilots received an alert indicating high engine vibrations. They responded by reducing engine power and performing diagnostic checks. When the vibrations appeared to subside, the crew resumed their climb using the autopilot.
However, the situation deteriorated quickly when the engine vibrations returned, followed by a loud bang. The crew immediately declared an emergency and initiated a descent. Flight attendants reported feeling the vibrations and observing a small amount of smoke before oxygen masks were deployed throughout the cabin. It was at this point that staff noticed passengers calling for assistance as Mr. Karović became lodged in the damaged window frame.
Despite the severity of the structural damage, the crew successfully returned the aircraft to Thessaloniki International Airport, where they performed an uneventful landing. The NTSB report noted that the engine had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May of this year, which had not identified any faults.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary previously suggested that the damage may have been caused by an external object striking the engine. The investigation into the exact cause of the fan blade failure remains ongoing as authorities continue to analyze the data from the flight. The report also notes that watch: Inside Ryanair plane flying with dislodged window.
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