NTSB: Jet engine blade struck plane, partially sucking passenger out window

A broken jet engine fan blade struck the side of a Ryanair Boeing 737 and shattered a passenger window, partially pulling a man outside the aircraft, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The July 10 flight was traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when the crew received a warning about high engine vibrations less than 10 minutes after takeoff. The vibrations later increased significantly, and the pilots heard a loud bang as the autopilot disengaged.

The NTSB said the aircraft's No. 2 engine experienced a fan blade separation. Engine fragments struck the fuselage and right horizontal stabilizer, damaging multiple areas of the aircraft.

Ljubisa Karovic, 61, was sitting in seat 11F when the window was shattered. His head and shoulders were partially pulled through the damaged window, according to the report and his wife's account to Reuters. She and a flight attendant helped pull him back inside the aircraft.

Investigators found evidence of fatigue cracking on the portion of the fan blade that remained in the engine. Eight other fan blades also showed deformation.

Bird remains, including feathers, were found inside the damaged engine, although investigators have not determined when the aircraft last experienced a bird strike.

The aircraft's fan blades had been inspected less than three weeks before the incident under rules implemented following a similar 2018 Southwest Airlines accident that killed a passenger.

The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority asked the NTSB to lead the investigation. The agency said its investigation could take one to two years before a final report determines the probable cause and any contributing factors.