A preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board says a broken engine fan blade shattered a cabin window on a Ryanair flight on July 10, 2026. A 61-year-old passenger was partly sucked out of the opening.
DR reports that the preliminary report points to a fan blade breaking off shortly after takeoff. The fragment struck the aircraft and destroyed a passenger window. Until now, the cause of the window failure had been unclear.
The aircraft was operating Ryanair service FR1194 from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany. It made an emergency landing a short time after the climb began. The investigation is led by the National Transportation Safety Board after Greek authorities handed over the task.
The passenger, Serbian national Ljubisa Karovic, had his head and right shoulder pulled out of the window. His wife, Svetlana Grković, has told several media outlets that she and two other passengers held on to him and pulled him back inside. He survived but was seriously injured and spent several days in hospital.
According to the report, which is based on information from the crew, they received a warning about high vibrations in the engine during the climb. They reduced engine power and carried out a series of checks. When the vibrations stopped, the crew continued climbing on autopilot.
The vibrations then increased again, and the crew heard a loud bang. That prompted them to declare an emergency and begin the descent. A cabin crew member said passengers shouted for help after one passenger became partly trapped in a damaged cabin window.
The landing itself took place without problems, the report states. The engine had undergone an ultrasound inspection in May 2026. That method uses sound waves to detect holes, cracks or weak points in metal and carbon fiber.
What other outlets report
BBC reports that the preliminary findings point to a fan blade breaking off after takeoff and striking the aircraft. It also notes that the crew had seen high vibration warnings before the window failed. BBC adds that the plane landed safely after the emergency descent.
Ryanair has previously said that the cabin crew and pilots did an excellent job. The airline also stated that its aircraft are maintained to a high standard.
Why the findings come now
The details have emerged because the National Transportation Safety Board has published its preliminary report into the July 10 incident. DR notes that the agency took over the investigation from Greek authorities. The report is preliminary, and the investigation has not been concluded.
