NTSB Report Finds Fan Blade Failure Caused Window Breach on Ryanair 737
A preliminary NTSB report says a fan blade separated from a Boeing 737 engine, striking the fuselage, breaking a window and partially exposing a passenger, prompting an emergency return to Thessaloniki.
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report says a fan blade on the No. 2 CFM56-7B26 engine of a Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS separated shortly after take-off on July 10, striking the fuselage and right horizontal stabilizer. The impact shattered a cabin window at row 11, causing the head and shoulders of 61-year-old Ljubisa Karovic, seated in 11F, to be partially exposed to the outside. His wife and a flight attendant pulled him back into the aircraft, and he sustained serious injuries.
The aircraft, flying at about 16,000 feet over Greek airspace, returned to Thessaloniki for an emergency landing after pilots received a high-engine-vibration warning seven and a half minutes after departure, followed by a loud bang and autopilot disengagement.
Investigators found evidence of fatigue cracking on the broken blade and deformation on eight other blades. Bird remains were also recovered, though it was unclear when a bird strike occurred. The fan blades had been inspected less than three weeks earlier under a rule introduced after a 2018 Southwest Airlines incident involving a similar blade failure.
The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority has asked the NTSB to lead the investigation, with Greece participating as an accredited representative. In a letter, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy warned Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary that his public comments about the cause of the accident violated international investigation rules.
The NTSB expects the investigation to take one to two years before issuing a final report that will identify the probable cause and any contributing factors.