NTSB investigating Ryanair-subsidiary 737-800 engine failure over Greece; cause not determined

NBC 7 San Diego reports a fan blade broke loose in the right engine of a Malta Air Boeing 737-800 after takeoff from Thessaloniki on July 10, 2026, breaking a cabin window and depressurizing the aircraft.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 13, 2026, 9:33 p.m. ETWritten Aug 19, 2026, 8:53 a.m. ET

A operated by , suffered a right-engine failure after from , , on July 10, 2026, according to reporting by NBC 7 San Diego. The investigation is open and details are still emerging. NBC 7 San Diego reported that a fan blade in the right engine broke loose and that fragments broke a cabin window and damaged the fuselage. What caused the fan blade to break loose has not been determined. The outlet reported that bird remains were found inside the engine, which it described as suggesting a possible bird strike during . That remains a line of inquiry, not a finding. The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators had not ruled anything out. turned the investigation over to the U.S. agency under international aviation rules. Boeing and engine maker CFM International said they are assisting with the investigation. According to NBC 7 San Diego, a 61-year-old passenger's head was sucked partially through the broken window from a row 11 window seat before other passengers pulled him back inside. Oxygen masks dropped and the cabin lost pressure; a doctor on board tended to the injured passenger in row 12, and passengers used a metal box obtained from flight attendants to try to block the opening until landing. The aircraft climbed above 15,000 feet about six minutes after departure, then descended to about 6,000 feet to burn fuel and returned to about an hour after . The same outlet reported that fan blades in the right engine were ultrasonically inspected in May 2026 and in November 2025 with no damage found, and that flight crews had reported four suspected bird strikes to the same engine over the previous year. FAA directives effective April 2025 requiring engine covering strengthening on Boeing 737s had not yet been carried out on the Ryanair plane; the deadline is July 2028. Flightradar24 records the aircraft as delivered new to Ryanair in 2008. NBC 7 San Diego also reported that the NTSB reprimanded Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary for telling investors the investigation focused on foreign object damage, and that the agency said O'Leary was not authorized to discuss the investigation. The investigation remains open.

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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)

Sources

Ryanair passenger gets head sucked out after plane window breaksnbcsandiego.com

Revision history

Version 119 Aug 2026, 12:53current
First published.

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