A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Greece was partially sucked out of a window after an engine malfunction, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The incident happened on July 10, when the Boeing 737-800 departed from Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Investigators said a fan blade in the right engine broke loose and caused damage to the aircraft’s fuselage. Bird remains were found inside the engine, suggesting that the plane may have struck birds during takeoff.
The 61-year-old man who was partially sucked out suffered neck and shoulder injuries as well as friction burns, according to the Chicago Tribune. Passengers on the flight helped pull him back into the cabin after the window broke. Flight attendants reported loud vibrations and smoke or fog inside the cabin before oxygen masks dropped. One passenger noticed the man in row 11 was stuck in the broken window and called for help. The injured man was moved to row 12 where a doctor among the passengers treated him.
Other passengers used a metal box from flight attendants to temporarily cover the broken window until the plane could land. Videos recorded from inside the aircraft showed passengers wearing oxygen masks after cabin pressure dropped. Another video showed the blown-out window with a man nearby wearing an oxygen mask.
A third video taken after landing showed first responders working in the aisle of the aircraft. The Greek aviation safety authority handed over the investigation to the NTSB, with Greece participating in the process. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary had previously told investors that the issue was related to foreign object damage and not maintenance history. The NTSB said they hadn’t ruled anything out and that O’Leary wasn’t authorized to speak on the matter.
Maintenance records showed the fan blades had been inspected in May 2026 and November 2025 without finding damage. However, the NTSB noted that four suspected bird strikes had occurred to the same engine over the past year. Bird remains were found after two of those suspected strikes.
A former NTSB and FAA investigator said the maintenance was performed at required intervals. However, investigators will review how those inspections were done and whether past bird strikes contributed to the failure.
Jeff Guzzetti said that while some details are known, there are still questions to be answered. The NTSB sent requests for comment to Ryanair, Boeing, and CFM International, the engine manufacturer.
There have been at least two previous incidents involving similar engine failures by CFM International. In 2018, a woman died on a Southwest Airlines flight after being partially sucked out of a window.
Another Southwest jet had a similar engine failure in 2016 over Florida. The flight that experienced the incident was operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair. The aircraft had been delivered new to Ryanair in 2008 and can seat up to 189 passengers.
Flight records showed that the plane climbed past 15,000 feet about six minutes after departure before descending to around 6,000 feet. The flight returned to Thessaloniki about an hour after takeoff and landed normally.
One passenger received medical help on the ground in Thessaloniki, according to a statement from Ryanair.
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