Boeing 737 Engine Failure Sucks Passenger Through Window on Ryanair Flight, NTSB Reports August 14

A fan blade in a Ryanair Boeing 737-800’s right engine broke free on July 10, sending shrapnel through the fuselage and shattering a window at row 11, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday. The 61-year-old passenger in seat 11F was partially sucked out of the opening before fellow travelers pulled him back inside. The aircraft, operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, was climbing through 16,000 feet near Thessaloniki, Greece, when pilots received a high-vibration alert and heard a loud bang.

How the engine failed mid-flight

Seven and a half minutes after takeoff, the pilots received a warning for high engine vibrations on the No. 2 engine, a CFM International CFM56-7B26 model. Nearly two minutes later, vibrations increased sharply and the autopilot disengaged as pilots heard a loud bang. Engine fragments breached the fuselage and the cabin depressurized, according to the NTSB. The shrapnel tore through metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window, denting the fuselage near row 8, puncturing the body below the wing, and gouging the tail.

Metal fatigue and bird strike evidence

Investigators found evidence of fatigue cracking on the broken blade, with approximately 37 percent of the fracture surface showing features consistent with metal fatigue caused by repeated stress. Eight other blades were deformed on the leading edge. Bird remains, including feathers, were recovered in the damaged engine, though the NTSB has not determined when the strike occurred. Four suspected bird strikes were reported within the prior year. The engine’s fan blades had been inspected in May 2026, yet fatigue was not detected.

Passenger pulled back by fellow travelers

The 61-year-old man in seat 11F suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns when his head and shoulders were sucked through the broken window. Flight attendants heard loud, continuous vibration and saw smoke or fog fill the cabin before oxygen masks deployed. Other passengers managed to pull the man back inside and moved him to row 12, where a doctor on board provided treatment. Passengers retrieved a metal box from the galley and used it to block the opening until the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki International Airport. All 149 passengers and six crew members survived.

Regulatory gap for European carriers

Ryanair, an Irish airline, is not subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The NTSB noted that engine updates required for U.S. airlines to complete by 2028 have not been made on this aircraft. The CFM56 engine is built by a joint venture between French Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace and is one of the most widely used in commercial aviation. Greece transferred the investigation to the U.S. agency under international aviation rules.

Final Thoughts

The incident exposes a regulatory blind spot: Ryanair operates outside FAA oversight despite using engines common on U.S. carriers. With Boeing (BA) already rated a sell by Meyka and facing reputational pressure, the NTSB’s findings underscore the need for harmonized maintenance standards across all operators of the CFM56 engine.

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