A crew‑reported incident on a Ryanair flight flown from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany has been detailed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The flight, dated 10 July, suffered a right‑engine fan blade failure shortly after takeoff, producing severe vibration and a loud bang.
The abnormal vibrations prompted the crew to reduce engine power and perform onboard checks. When the vibrations ceased, the aircraft resumed ascent on autopilot, only to experience a sudden acceleration of vibrations, followed by a momentary rupture of a cabin wall panel and a burst of smoke. Shortly after, passengers and crew reported the disappearance of a small, intact window pane.
The NTSB’s preliminary report recounts that a Serbian passenger, Ljubisa Karović, was forced out of the aircraft as the broken pane was ejected. Witnesses noted that his head and right shoulder were pulled through the opening, requiring rescue by his wife and two other passengers who held his legs for several minutes. Karović sustained serious injuries and was in shock upon arrival at the emergency gate.
According to the investigation, the crew declared an emergency and began a rapid descent. A full stop at Thessaloniki International Airport was achieved without further incident, allowing for a thorough emergency response and evacuation of the aircraft.
Greek authorities delegated the entire investigation to the NTSB, citing the catastrophic nature of the incident. Notably, the affected engine had undergone successful ultrasonic inspections in May, with no faults reported.
Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary has speculated that the failure could have been caused by foreign object damage (FOD) to the engine, a point that will be explored in the forthcoming official NTSB report.
For further context on the incident, see the BBC report Here.
