Engine debris shattered Ryanair window, pulling passenger out, NTSB says

What the report says

U.S. air safety investigators say a fractured engine fan blade likely failed because of metal fatigue on a Ryanair flight last month, sending debris into the cabin, breaking a window and partially pulling a passenger outside the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board released the finding in a preliminary report on Thursday, though it said the exact cause of the blade failure has not yet been determined.

The July 10 incident involved a Boeing 737-800 operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany. According to the report, the plane was climbing when pilots received a high-vibration warning from the right engine, followed by a loud bang and a cabin depressurization. Debris hit the fuselage and shattered a window near row 11, where a 61-year-old passenger was later found partially outside the opening. Other passengers pulled him back inside, and he was treated for neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.

Investigators found signs of fatigue on part of the broken blade and said the engine also contained feathers and bird remains. Maintenance records showed four suspected bird strikes involving the same engine in the prior year, including two cases where remains were recovered. The NTSB has not said whether a bird strike triggered the failure, and the investigation remains open.

The case is significant because it points to a rare but serious in-flight engine failure that combined mechanical damage with cabin depressurization and passenger injury. In general, aviation investigators often examine maintenance history, fatigue, and possible bird strikes when assessing engine problems.