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A passenger aboard a Ryanair-operated flight narrowly escaped a terrifying ordeal when he was partially pulled through a shattered cabin window after engine debris struck the aircraft shortly after takeoff from Greece last month, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The incident occurred on July 10 during Malta Air Flight 1879, a Boeing 737-800 flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany. The NTSB has taken over the investigation from Greek authorities to determine the exact cause of the event.
Preliminary findings reveal that a fan blade in the right engine broke apart, sending fragments into the fuselage and causing a cabin window to shatter. As the plane climbed to approximately 16,000 feet, the pilots received warnings of abnormal engine vibrations.
After reducing engine power, the vibrations momentarily subsided but soon intensified, followed by a loud bang. This sequence led to the autopilot disengaging and an alert indicating a loss of cabin pressure.
The crew promptly declared an emergency and turned the aircraft back toward Thessaloniki.
Inside the cabin, flight attendants reported strong shaking and noticed smoke or fog before oxygen masks deployed. In the chaos, they found a 61-year-old male passenger partially sucked through the broken window.
With assistance from fellow travelers, the crew managed to pull him back inside. The passenger sustained serious injuries to his head, neck, and right arm.
The plane made a safe emergency landing in Thessaloniki, where emergency personnel were on standby. There were 149 passengers, including one infant on lap, and six crew members aboard at the time.
The investigation also uncovered bird remains-feathers and other fragments-in various engine components such as the oil cooler and fan case. The samples have been sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab for further analysis. Over the prior year, the flight crew had reported four suspected bird strikes involving the same engine, though no damage was detected during subsequent inspections.
Engine examinations revealed multiple fractured fan blades and recovered loose fragments, highlighting the severity of the mechanical failure.
The NTSB is reviewing whether this incident shares similarities with past engine failures, notably the April 2018 Southwest Airlines accident where a passenger was fatally pulled through a broken window after an engine failure. While the investigation continues, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford has indicated that initial evidence does not suggest the recent Ryanair event closely resembles the Southwest case.
Authorities remain focused on uncovering all contributing factors to ensure aviation safety and prevent future occurrences of this nature.