NTSB: Fan blade failure caused window break on Ryanair flight

A fan blade failure on a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 caused engine fragments to shatter a cabin window shortly after takeoff from Greece on July 10, leading to a passenger being partially sucked from the aircraft before being pulled back inside by fellow travelers, according to a preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday.

The incident occurred on a flight operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, departing Thessaloniki for Memmingen, Germany. The NTSB report states that about seven and a half minutes after takeoff, while climbing through approximately 16,000 feet, the crew received a warning for high engine vibrations. Nearly two minutes later, vibrations increased significantly and a loud bang was heard as the autopilot disengaged. Examination revealed a fan blade in the right engine had separated, sending fragments through the engine cowling and into the fuselage.

The shrapnel struck and broke a window at row 11, where a 61-year-old male passenger was seated. His head and shoulders were partially sucked through the opening before other passengers managed to pull him back into the cabin. The passenger suffered neck and shoulder...