Broken engine parts shattered a window on Ryanair flight FR1879 shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece, on 10 July, causing passenger Ljubisa Karović to be partly pulled outside the aircraft, according to a preliminary report by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
Karović, who was seated in 11F, had his head and right arm pulled through the opening before other passengers grabbed him and pulled him back into the cabin. The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 149 passengers and four flight attendants on its scheduled flight to Memmingen near Munich, Germany.
What investigators found
The NTSB said the aircraft suffered a No 2, or right, engine fan-blade-out failure during its climb from Thessaloniki International Airport. The broken fan blade damaged the fuselage and shattered the passenger window, while the cabin depressurised.
The flight crew first received a high-vibration engine alert and reduced engine power. After the vibration temporarily eased, they continued climbing on autopilot, but the vibration then increased sharply and was followed by a loud bang. The pilots put on oxygen masks, declared an emergency and began an immediate descent.
Related coverage: Ryanair confirms aircraft safety following passenger rescue from damaged window.
How the plane returned safely
Flight attendants reported a loud, continuous vibration and a small amount of fog or smoke before the oxygen masks dropped. The pilots decided to return to Thessaloniki, where the aircraft made what the NTSB described as an uneventful landing.
The flight was operated by Malta Air, Ryanair’s subsidiary. Greek authorities delegated the investigation in full to the NTSB a few days after the incident, and Boeing and engine maker CFM are assisting investigators.
Questions still under investigation
The report recorded four bird strikes involving the aircraft’s right engine during the previous 12 months; bird remains were reportedly found in two cases. The engine fan blades had also undergone ultrasonic inspections in recent months with no findings.
Investigators are expected to examine how those inspections were conducted and whether earlier suspected bird strikes contributed to pre-existing damage. The preliminary findings establish the failure sequence but do not represent a final determination of all causes.
Aircraft modifications and compensation
In 2025, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued three directives requiring airlines to strengthen parts of the engine coverings on Boeing 737 aircraft after two earlier fan-blade failures sent debris into the coverings. The NTSB report said the required changes had not yet been made to the Ryanair aircraft; airlines were given until July 2028 to complete them.
Ryanair said it would not comment on the preliminary report or whether Karović would receive compensation until the final report is published. The airline’s finance chief previously said it was too early to discuss compensation while the investigation continued.
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