US NTSB leads probe of Ryanair flight window breach Greece

A U.S. safety agency will lead the investigation into a dramatic midair incident last week in which a passenger was partially pulled from a shattered window on a Ryanair flight over Greece. The event, which occurred on July 10, forced the Boeing 737-800 to make an emergency return to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft, operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, was en route to Germany when a piece of its right engine broke off and struck a cabin window. The impact caused the window to shatter, leading to rapid depressurization of the cabin. The passenger seated by the window, identified as Serbian national Ljubisa Karović, was pulled partway out of the opening. Fellow passengers held onto him until the plane landed safely. Karović was injured and hospitalized.

Passenger accounts and video from the flight depict a cabin with oxygen masks deployed and a strong smell following a loud bang. The aircraft was at approximately 16,000 feet when the incident occurred. One passenger, Christina, told local radio that the man's seatbelt, which he was still wearing, likely saved his life. The 18-year-old jet landed back at Thessaloniki Airport after spending about 30 minutes...