A Ryanair aircraft experienced a frightening incident last month in Greece when broken engine parts caused a window to shatter after takeoff. This resulted in a passenger’s head being pulled towards the opening, only to be saved by fellow passengers. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that a fan blade in the Boeing 737-800’s right engine dislodged, leading to the window breakage and damage to the fuselage.
Following the mishap on July 10, U.S. investigators began probing the incident as Greece handed over the case under international aviation regulations. Evidence of bird remains inside the engine suggested a potential bird strike during takeoff, although the exact cause of the fan blade detachment remains unknown.
The 61-year-old passenger involved sustained neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns. Flight attendants recounted hearing loud vibrations and observing smoke or fog inside the cabin, prompting the release of emergency oxygen masks. They described the chaotic scene of passengers assisting the injured individual and attempting to secure the damaged window using a metal box until the aircraft landed safely.
Recent maintenance records indicated that the fan blades in the malfunctioning engine had passed ultrasonic inspections in May 2026 and November 2025 without any issues. However, there had been reports of four suspected bird strikes to the same engine in the past year, with bird remnants discovered after two incidents.
Ryanair, Boeing, and CFM International are cooperating with the ongoing investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) having issued directives in 2025 to enhance engine coverings on Boeing 737s after previous fan blade failures. These directives aimed to prevent engine covering fragments from detaching and causing harm if a fan blade were to detach.
The FAA had set a deadline for airlines to implement the required modifications by July 2028, but the NTSB report highlighted that the necessary changes had not been made to the Ryanair plane involved in the recent incident. Analysts anticipate that this event might prompt a reassessment of the deadline by aviation authorities.
The flight, operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, landed safely back in Thessaloniki with no further incidents, and all passengers disembarked without major injuries.