- Engine fan blade broke shortly after takeoff on the July 10 flight from Greece to Germany, leading to a serious incident, according to the NTSB.
- Pilots received a high vibration warning 7.5 minutes after takeoff, which indicated a potential issue with the engine.
- Vibrations increased significantly, followed by a loud bang, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency and disengage the autopilot.
- Engine fragments struck the fuselage, shattering a window at row 11, which led to a passenger being partially sucked out.
- Passenger Ljubisa Karovic was seriously injured when his head and right shoulder were sucked out of the plane's window.
- The NTSB preliminary report cited fatigue cracking and bird remains as contributing factors to the incident.
- Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary's earlier comments about the incident were contradicted by the NTSB report.
- The incident occurred on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, where the crew declared an emergency after the engine failure.
- The engine had undergone ultrasonic inspections just weeks prior to the incident, with no faults found.
- Evidence of fatigue cracking was discovered on the remaining blade that broke off, indicating potential long-term issues.
- Bird remains were found in the damaged engine, although it was unclear when the plane last encountered birds.
A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen experienced a severe incident on July 10 when a fan blade from the No. 2 engine broke, leading to engine fragments striking the fuselage and shattering a cabin window.4
Ljubisa Karović, a 61-year-old Serbian national, was sitting in seat 11F when his head and right shoulder were sucked out of the window, resulting in significant injuries. His wife described him as being "seriously injured and in shock."
The NTSB's preliminary report detailed that the flight crew received a "high vibration" alert during the climb, which escalated to a loud bang, prompting an emergency descent.
Flight attendants reported seeing smoke and hearing vibrations before oxygen masks were deployed.
“The crew elected to return to SKG [Thessaloniki International Airport] where they made an uneventful landing,” the report stated.
The investigation revealed evidence of fatigue cracking on the broken fan blade, which had been inspected less than three weeks prior due to regulations following a similar incident.10
The NTSB noted that bird remains were found in the damaged engine, although it was unclear when the plane last encountered birds.11
Contradicting Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary's earlier claims that no passengers were out of the window, the NTSB confirmed that Karović was "partially lodged in a damaged cabin window" and that other passengers helped pull him back inside.
“Mr. O’Leary’s public statements violate (international rules) as they provide an opinion and analysis of the accident,” the report concluded.
“The NTSB found fatigue cracking on the broken fan blade and recovered bird remains in the engine, though it's unclear when the plane last hit birds. The report contradicts Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary's earlier claim that no passenger was out the window.”
