WASHINGTON — Broken engine parts shattered a window on a Ryanair flight last month, pulling a passenger's head through the opening before others dragged him back inside. The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the July 10 incident Thursday.
The NTSB said the event occurred shortly after the flight departed Thessaloniki, Greece. A 61-year-old man sitting in a window seat in row 11 suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.
A fan blade in the Boeing 737-800's right engine broke loose, the report said. Fragments projected through the fuselage and shattered the window.
Investigators found bird remains inside the engine, suggesting a possible bird strike during takeoff. The NTSB has not yet determined the cause of the blade's detachment.
Flight attendants told investigators they felt and heard a loud, continuous vibration. They also saw smoke or fog inside the cabin before oxygen masks deployed automatically.
One flight attendant noticed several passengers standing and calling for help. The man in row 11 was partially lodged in the damaged window, prompting those nearby to act.
Other passengers pulled him back fully into the cabin. The injured man was then moved to row 12, where another passenger — identified as a doctor — provided initial medical attention. Flight attendants supplied a metal box, which passengers used to block the broken window until the plane landed.
The investigation is ongoing.
