The shattering of a window and the partial pulling of a passenger toward the resulting opening in a Ryanair Boeing 737 occurred after a serious failure involving one of the right engine’s blades. The incident took place on July 10 during a flight over Greek territory.
Të lidhura
None found
A preliminary report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says the incident may have been caused by metal damage and partial wear in the area of the engine blade.
There were 155 people on board. The flight had departed from Thessaloniki and was bound for Memmingen, Germany, but problems emerged during the climb. At the time, the aircraft was near Polykastro, several kilometers from the border with North Macedonia, at an altitude of around 16,000 meters.
Data recorded by the black box sensors showed that the CFM56-7B26 engine began experiencing a sharp increase in vibrations. Several minutes later, the situation worsened: a loud bang was heard, the autopilot disengaged and warning lights came on in the cockpit.
Investigators’ inspections found that engine blade No. 10 had broken off. The detached fragments struck at high speed, damaging the engine’s outer casing and penetrating the lower section of the aircraft’s fuselage.
One fragment struck the window next to seat 11F, completely shattering it. The sudden decompression caused a passenger to be partially pulled toward the opening created in the aircraft’s structure, while the situation sparked panic among the crew and passengers.
The system automatically deployed the oxygen masks, and several passengers attempted to cover the opening with improvised materials. The flight crew managed to bring the aircraft under control and then returned to Thessaloniki Airport, where it made an emergency landing.
During its examinations, the NTSB also discovered bird remains inside the engine. The finding has raised suspicions that the aircraft may have struck birds during takeoff.
However, the pilots did not report any such strike, while the engine failure became apparent only several minutes after the aircraft had taken off. Investigators are examining whether the suspected bird strikes could be linked to the engine blade breaking off.
Four suspected bird-strike incidents involving the same engine during the 12 months preceding the incident are also under review.
Attention has also focused on the maintenance history of the damaged blade. The NTSB document shows that on May 24, 2026, just 253 flight cycles before the incident, the component underwent ultrasonic testing and no irregularities were detected.
The incident has also prompted discussions about engine maintenance and the timely implementation of safety directives. The investigation found that some parts of the engine and aircraft structure had not yet received the reinforcements and modifications required under three separate FAA directives issued in 2025.
Despite this, Ryanair was officially considered compliant with regulatory requirements because the deadline for implementing the work across its entire fleet is July 2028. Investigators are now assessing whether that deadline is appropriate for parts that play a critical role in safety.
Efforts to fully establish the circumstances of the incident are continuing with the involvement of the NTSB, Boeing, GE Aerospace, Safran and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The authorities aim to determine the precise relationship between the engine blade failure and the damage caused to the aircraft’s structure.
