NTSB: Engine Blade Slices Plane, Passenger Half-Sucked Out
What Happened on That Ryanair Flight? A Simple Guide to the Engine Emergency
Washington — Imagine you’re on a plane, just settled in after takeoff, when suddenly a piece of the engine flies off, smashes a window, and pulls a passenger halfway out. Sounds like a movie, right? But this really happened on a Ryanair flight in July 2026. Here’s the full story, explained simply.
What Happened? The Big Picture
On July 10, 2026, a Ryanair Boeing 737 took off from Thessaloniki, Greece, heading to Memmingen, Germany. Less than 10 minutes later, something went terribly wrong:
- A fan blade inside the right engine (Engine #2) snapped off.
- The blade flew out at incredible speed and slammed into the side of the plane.
- It shattered a window at Row 11.
- 61-year-old Ljubisa Karovic, sitting in seat 11F, had his head and shoulders sucked out the hole.
- His wife and a flight attendant pulled him back inside.
- The pilots turned around and made an emergency landing back in Thessaloniki.
Important Callout
No one died, but the passenger was seriously injured. The plane landed safely. The incident is now under a formal investigation by the NTSB (U.S. National Transportation Safety Board).
Timeline: Minute by Minute
Here’s what happened, step by step:
- Takeoff – Plane leaves Thessaloniki normally.
- 7.5 minutes later – Pilots get a warning: high engine vibrations.
- ~2 minutes after that – Vibrations get much worse. Pilots hear a loud BANG. Autopilot turns off automatically.
- Engine blade breaks free – Flies out, hits fuselage, smashes window at Row 11.
- Passenger partially sucked out – Wife and flight attendant pull him back in.
- Pilots declare emergency – Turn plane around.
- Emergency landing – Back in Thessaloniki, ~10 minutes after takeoff.
The Engine Problem: What Is a "Fan Blade Separation"?
Think of a jet engine like a giant, super-fast fan. The fan blades are the spinning parts at the front that suck in air. They spin thousands of times per minute.
What went wrong?
- One blade (on Engine #2) broke off — this is called a "fan blade separation."
- The blade didn’t just fall out — it shot out like a bullet because of the speed.
- It ripped through the engine casing, then hit the plane’s body (fuselage).
- It also damaged the tail (horizontal stabilizer) and punctured the belly near the wing.
Why did the blade break? Fatigue Cracking
ELI5 Explanation: Fatigue Cracking
Imagine bending a paperclip back and forth. At first, it’s fine. But after many bends, a tiny crack forms. Keep going — SNAP. It breaks.That’s fatigue cracking: tiny cracks grow slowly over time from repeated stress (like every takeoff and landing). Eventually, the metal just… gives out.
- The NTSB found clear signs of fatigue cracking on the broken blade.
- 8 other blades were also bent/deformed on their leading edges.
- This means the engine had been under stress for a long time.
Damage to the Plane: More Than Just a Window
The flying blade and engine fragments caused a trail of damage:
- Window at Row 11 – Shattered completely (where passenger was sucked out)
- Dent near Row 8 – On the fuselage (plane’s main body)
- Puncture below the wing – Hole in the belly
- Tail (horizontal stabilizer) – Gouged and dented
Photos from the NTSB report show all this damage clearly — the missing window, the dented tail, the torn engine casing.
The Passenger: Ljubisa Karovic
- Age: 61
- Seat: 11F (right side, window)
- What happened: Head and shoulders pulled out the window by cabin pressure difference (inside pressure > outside at 16,000 ft)
- Rescued by: His wife + a flight attendant
- Injuries: Significant (exact details not public)
- Current status: Not publicly updated — but he was alive when pulled back in
Why did he get sucked out?
At 16,000 feet, the air inside the cabin is pressurized (like sea level). Outside, it’s very thin. When the window broke, the high-pressure air inside rushed out violently — like popping a balloon. That force pulled him toward the hole.
This Happened Before: The 2018 Southwest Flight
This isn’t the first time.
| Detail | 2018 Southwest Flight | 2026 Ryanair Flight |
|---|---|---|
| Airline | Southwest Airlines | Ryanair |
| Plane | Boeing 737 | Boeing 737-8AS (18 years old) |
| Engine | CFM56-7B (same family) | CFM56-7B26 (same family) |
| Cause | Fan blade fatigue cracking | Fan blade fatigue cracking |
| Result | Window shattered, passenger died | Window shattered, passenger survived |
| Passenger | Jennifer Riordan | Ljubisa Karovic |
After 2018, the FAA ordered inspections of all similar fan blades using ultrasound (like a pregnancy scan but for metal).
The Ryanair plane’s blades were inspected less than 3 weeks before this flight — and passed.
Bird Strikes: A Red Herring?
- Bird feathers/remains were found inside the damaged engine.
- But: Unclear when the bird strike happened.
- 4 suspected bird strikes in the past year — but no damage found at those times.
- NTSB says: Fatigue cracking is the main cause, not birds.
The Investigation: Who’s in Charge?
- Country of incident: Greece
- Greek authority (Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority) asked the NTSB (USA) to lead — allowed under international aviation rules (ICAO Annex 13).
- Greece participates as an "accredited representative."
- NTSB investigations take 1–2 years — final report will name probable cause and contributing factors.
Controversy: Ryanair CEO vs. NTSB
Here’s where it gets messy.
What Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary Said (July earnings call):
"Some of the more salacious reports that one passenger was halfway out the window, head out the window. Nobody was out any window. Initial indication would suggest that it looks like a foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff out of Thessaloniki."
What the NTSB Preliminary Report Says:
- Passenger was "partially lodged in a damaged cabin window"
- "Other passengers… managed to pull the injured passenger back into the cabin"
- Fatigue cracking found — not foreign object damage (yet)
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy’s Response:
She sent a formal letter criticizing O’Leary:
"Accredited representatives… are prohibited from making any comments regarding the potential cause… Mr. O’Leary’s public statements violate international rules… they provide an opinion and analysis… and suggest potential areas of interest in the ongoing investigation."
Key Point: Parties in an investigation must stay silent until the final report. O’Leary spoke too early — and got it wrong.
What Happens Next?
- NTSB continues investigation — examines blade, engine, maintenance records, flight data, voice recorder.
- Parties (Ryanair, Boeing, CFM, Greece, etc.) give technical input — but no public comments.
- Final report in 1–2 years — will say exactly why and how to prevent it.
- Possible outcomes:
- New inspection rules
- Engine redesign
- Maintenance procedure changes
- Crew training updates
Summary: What You Need to Know
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Flight | Ryanair, Thessaloniki → Memmingen, July 10, 2026 |
| Cause | Fan blade fatigue cracking (not birds, not new damage) |
| Injury | Passenger partially sucked out, pulled back in by wife + crew |
| Damage | Window gone, fuselage dented, tail gouged, belly punctured |
| Past similar event | 2018 Southwest — same engine, same cause, fatal |
| Inspection | Done <3 weeks ago — passed (ultrasound) |
| Investigation | NTSB leads, 1–2 years, final report coming |
| Controversy | Ryanair CEO broke rules by speculating publicly — NTSB rebuked him |
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Could this happen on my flight?
Extremely rare. This engine type (CFM56) has flown billions of hours. After 2018, strict inspections were mandated. But metal fatigue is tricky — cracks can grow between inspections.
Why didn’t the inspection catch the crack?
Ultrasound scans are very good, but not perfect. Tiny cracks deep inside or in hard-to-reach spots can hide. Also, cracks can grow fast in the last few flights.
Is the Boeing 737 unsafe?
No. The 737 is one of the most flown, most studied planes ever. This is an engine issue, not a plane design flaw. The CFM56 engine is made by CFM International (GE + Safran), used on Airbus A320s too.
Why did the CEO say nobody was out the window?
We don’t know for sure. But investigators hate premature statements — they can mislead the public, pressure the investigation, and hurt trust. The NTSB formally scolded him for it.
Will the passenger be okay?
We don’t have a public update. But he was alive when pulled back in. Being partially ejected at 16,000 ft causes severe trauma (pressure change, cold, wind, impact). Recovery is possible but long.
Bottom Line: Aviation safety works because every accident teaches us something. This incident — while terrifying — will lead to better inspections, better engines, safer skies. The system is designed to learn.