NTSB Preliminary Report Cites Fatigue Cracking in Ryanair Engine Fan Blade Failure Over Greece
A fan blade separated from an engine on a Ryanair Boeing 737 climbing over Greek air space on July 10, 2025, and fragments broke a cabin window, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 13, 2026, 4:06 p.m. ETWritten Aug 16, 2026, 3:26 p.m. ET
Developing
This is a developing story. Details reported early are provisional and are frequently revised. Where sources disagree, both readings are given.
A fan blade separated from the No. 2 CFM International CFM56-7B26 engine of a during over Greek air space on July 10, 2025, and fragments struck the fuselage and the right horizontal stabilizer, according to a report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported by CBS 58. The report is and the investigation is open and developing; a final determination of probable cause has not been made.
The report found evidence of fatigue cracking on the remains of the blade that separated, CBS 58 reported. Eight other fan blades on the engine were deformed on the leading edge, and bird remains including feathers were recovered from the damaged engine. Four suspected bird strikes were reported on the engine in the prior year with no damage found, and the fan blades had last been inspected less than three weeks before the incident. The aircraft was flying at about 16,000 feet near when the window blew out.
According to CBS 58, passenger Ljubisa Karovic, 61, seated in 11F, had his head and shoulders sucked out of the broken window and suffered significant injuries. His wife told Reuters that she and a flight attendant pulled him back into the plane. chief executive Michael O'Leary said, "Nobody was out any window," and suggested foreign object damage to the engine. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy faulted O'Leary for commenting on an open investigation, saying it violates international rules.
CBS 58 also reported that in 2018 a fan blade snapped on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, shattering a window, and a woman died of blunt force trauma.
The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority asked the NTSB to lead the inquiry, with participating as an "accredited representative," CBS 58 reported. The NTSB says the investigation remains open and that such inquiries typically take one to two years to conclude with a final report determining probable cause. The individual aircraft involved has not been identified in the available material; registry records list 130 aircraft under , of which 124 are of the reported type, the .
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Reference data
From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.
Terrain elevation
23 ft
Nearest aerodrome
8.6 miles NNW of Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport (LGTS/SKG)
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