Ryanair plane window shatters mid-flight, passenger nearly sucked out

A passenger narrowly escaped being sucked out of a Ryanair flight after a window shattered mid-air due to detached engine components. The incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Germany in early July.

The 60-year-old Serbian tourist was on a Boeing 737-800 when a passenger window broke over North Macedonia. He was partially pulled out of the aircraft but was fortunately secured by his seatbelt and pulled back in by fellow passengers. He sustained minor injuries, including a neck injury and burns.

An investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that a fan blade in the right engine broke loose, sending fragments through the engine casing and shattering the window. Bird remains were discovered in the engine, suggesting a possible bird strike during takeoff, though this is not yet confirmed. Crew members had reported four suspected bird collisions with the same aircraft in the past year, with bird remains found after two of those flights.

Despite recent inspections in November 2025 and May 2026 showing no damage to the fan blades, investigators are now examining the thoroughness of these checks and whether pre-existing damage from bird strikes contributed to the failure. This incident echoes past tragedies, including a 2018 Southwest Airlines fatality caused by engine debris puncturing the cabin. In response to such events, the FAA issued directives last year mandating reinforcement of certain engine cowling components on Boeing 737s to prevent similar catastrophic failures.

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A fan blade in the right engine of the Boeing 737-800 broke loose, causing fragments to fly out of the engine that shattered the window.