NTSB: Engine debris shattered a window on the Ryanair plane
A fan blade on the right engine broke off shortly after takeoff of the Boeing 737-800, which was operating a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, on July 10. Engine debris damaged the fuselage and shattered a window, through which a passenger was partially pulled out of the aircraft, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), The Guardian reports.
Flight FR1879, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, experienced a failure of the right engine’s fan blade while climbing. The cabin depressurized, after which the crew decided to return to Thessaloniki Airport. The landing proceeded without incident.
Passenger Ljubiša Karović, who was sitting by the window in seat 11F, found himself partially outside the plane: his head and right arm were pulled out through the broken window. Other passengers held onto the 61-year-old Serbian businessman and prevented him from falling completely out of the cabin. After the incident, Karović said he felt pain in his head and neck, and his wife, Svetlana, reported that he had lost consciousness several times.
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According to the NTSB, the pilots initially received a warning about severe engine vibration, reduced thrust, and conducted checks. The vibration temporarily subsided but then intensified sharply, and the crew heard a loud bang. The pilots put on their oxygen masks, declared an emergency, and immediately began descending. The flight attendants reported continuous severe vibration, as well as a small amount of fog or smoke, before the oxygen masks dropped.
In the 12 months leading up to the incident, crews reported four bird strikes involving the aircraft’s right engine; in two cases, bird remains were reportedly found. The fan blades had undergone ultrasonic inspections in recent months, which revealed no issues. Boeing and engine manufacturer CFM are assisting with the investigation.
There were 149 passengers and four flight attendants on board. Ryanair stated that it would not comment on the preliminary report or possible compensation for Karovich until the final findings are published. The report also found that modifications to the engine cowling—which the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had required to be completed by July 2028—had not yet been made to the aircraft.
