In brief
During a 10 July flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, an engine fan blade broke after take‑off, sending shattered fragments into the cabin and fully compromising a front‑section window. Serbian passenger Ljubisa Karović suffered severe trauma when his head and right shoulder were slammed through the fractured opening. The crew promptly managed emergency protocols, returned to the departure aerodrome, and landed safely. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now investigating the source of the fan‑blade failure, noting that routine ultrasonic inspections prior to the flight were fault‑free. The incident underscores the critical need for ongoing scrutiny of engine health and cabin integrity in commercial aviation.
On 10 July, a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen suffered an engine fan‑blade failure shortly after take‑off. Fragments from the broken blade struck a cabin window, creating a hole that pulled a passenger’s head and right shoulder from the aircraft.
Serbian national Ljubisa Karović was left seriously injured and in shock after the incident. His wife and two fellow passengers reportedly held his legs for several minutes following the emergency.
The NTSB, acting on the initiative of Greek authorities, documented that the crew detected high‑vibration alerts during climb. They reduced engine thrust and performed checks. When vibrations ceased, the crew resumed the climb on autopilot, only to hear a loud bang that prompted an emergency descent.
Flight attendants reported the vibrations, a brief plume of smoke, and the rapid deployment of oxygen masks. One attendant described passengers panicking as a passenger became partially lodged in the damaged window, which had vanished entirely.
Pre‑flight checks in May showed no detectable faults via ultrasonic inspection of the engine. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has suggested that foreign object damage might have contributed to the failure, a point the NTSB investigation will explore.
The aircraft was operated by Ryanair’s subsidiary Malta Air. Investigations will focus on engine integrity and cabin design to prevent future occurrences.
