Broken engine parts shattered Ryanair plane window, sucking passenger partly out, investigators say

A passenger's head was partially sucked out of a Ryanair flight window after broken engine parts shattered the opening, U.S. investigators reported Thursday. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 10.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that a fan blade in the Boeing 737-800's right engine broke loose. Fragments from the engine struck and shattered a window, also damaging the fuselage in several places. The investigation, initially handled by Greece, was transferred to the U.S. agency under international aviation rules.

Passengers managed to pull the 61-year-old man back into the cabin after his head was drawn toward the opening. He sustained neck and shoulder injuries, along with friction burns. Another passenger used a metal box to temporarily block the damaged window until the plane could land safely.

Flight attendants reported experiencing loud vibrations and seeing smoke before oxygen masks deployed. The NTSB found bird remains inside the engine, suggesting a possible bird strike during takeoff, though the exact cause of the fan blade failure remains under investigation. Maintenance records show the fan blades had undergone inspections in the months prior, with no damage detected. Investigators plan to scrutinize how these inspections were conducted and if previous bird strikes contributed to the failure.

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We know what happened and even to some extent why it happened, but there's still unanswered questions that the NTSB will get at.