Engine parts smashed Ryanair window that man's head was sucked out of, report says

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that broken engine fragments shattered a cabin window on a Ryanair flight, resulting in a man's head and right shoulder being sucked into the gap last month. The incident occurred during takeoff from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on July 10th. Serbian national Ljubisa Karović sustained serious injuries and was left in shock.

His wife, Svetlana Grković Maksimović, recounted that she and other passengers held onto his legs for several minutes. The NTSB stated that the flight experienced a right engine fan-blade-out (FBO) failure during the climb, prompting the crew to return to Thessaloniki International Airport for an uneventful landing. The investigation was conducted by the NTSB after the Greek authorities delegated the task.

The flight crew reported receiving a high vibration engine alert during the climb and reduced engine power, followed by a series of checks. However, engine vibrations increased, leading to a loud bang and the declaration of an emergency. Flight attendants noticed passengers calling for help after Ljubisa's partial lodging in the damaged window, which was missing entirely.

The engine had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May without any findings of fault. Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, suggested that the incident might have been due to foreign object damage to the engine.