In brief
During a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, an engine fan blade fractured shortly after take‑off, sending metal fragments into the cabin. The debris tore through a cabin window, resulting in a Serbian passenger’s head and right shoulder being sucked out. The crew declared an emergency and diverted back to Thessaloniki, where the aircraft landed safely. The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report outlining the sequence of events and the crew’s emergency response. Investigators are examining whether foreign objects may have triggered the failure.
In a dramatic incident over the Aegean Sea, a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen suffered an engine fan blade fracture shortly after take‑off.
The metal fragments were blown into the passenger cabin, where they tore a cabin window and ripped a Serbian national’s head and right shoulder from the aircraft. He was left seriously injured and in shock, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB report states the flight experienced a No. 2 (right) engine fan‑blade‑out (FBO) failure during climb. The crew reduced engine power, performed checks, but after monitoring a return to thrust and a loud bang the crew declared an emergency and began descent.
Flight attendants reported the vibration and smoke; passengers felt the incident when a cabin window was fully missing. One attendant described seeing a passenger partially lodged in the damaged window before the pilot declared the emergency.
The aircraft had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May without fault findings. Ryanair captain Michael O’Leary suggested a possible foreign object damage as a root cause.
The flight crew landed safely at Thessaloniki International Airport after placing the aircraft on the ground. Investigation is led by the NTSB, as delegated by Greek authorities.
