Engine components breaking caused a Ryanair aircraft window to shatter shortly after taking off in Greece last month, leading to a man’s head being sucked out through the opening until fellow passengers managed to pull him back in, according to U.S. investigators who disclosed the incident on Thursday.
A fan blade detached from the right engine of the Boeing 737-800, sending out fragments that shattered the window and caused damage to the aircraft’s structure in multiple areas, as outlined in a preliminary report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Greece handed over the investigation to the U.S. agency based on international aviation regulations.
The incident occurred on July 10 after the flight took off from the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Investigative findings revealed bird remnants inside the engine, suggesting a possible bird strike during takeoff, although the exact cause of the fan blade detachment remains undetermined.
The 61-year-old passenger whose head was sucked out suffered neck and shoulder injuries, along with friction burns.
Flight attendants reported hearing loud, continuous vibrations and observing smoke or fog filling the cabin before the deployment of emergency oxygen masks from the ceiling.
According to flight attendants, some passengers were seen standing and calling for assistance. The man seated by the damaged window in Row 11 was partially stuck, prompting other passengers to pull him back inside the cabin, as relayed to investigators.
The injured passenger was relocated to Row 12, where a doctor treated him. Other passengers obtained a metal box from the flight crew to block the opening temporarily until the aircraft could land, as per the investigation.
Several brief videos captured inside the plane and shared by Radio Thessaloniki depicted passengers using oxygen masks after the cabin depressurized. One video showed the shattered window, with a man nearby wearing an oxygen mask. Another video, apparently filmed post-landing, displayed first responders working in the aisle.
Inspections on fan blades
Maintenance records indicated that the fan blades in the malfunctioning right engine underwent ultrasonic inspections in May 2026 and November 2025, with no reported damage.
However, flight crews had noted four suspected bird strikes on the same engine over the past year, with bird remnants discovered after two incidents, according to the NTSB. Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA investigator who reviewed the preliminary report, mentioned that the scheduled maintenance procedures seemed to have been followed. Nevertheless, investigators will likely scrutinize the inspection methods and potential impacts of previous bird strikes on existing damage.
“We have a good understanding of what occurred and why, but there are still unanswered questions for the NTSB to address,” stated Guzzetti.