THESSALONIKI — The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the Ryanair Flight 1879 incident on July 24, 2026, detailing a fan blade failure and bird strike that led to cabin depressurization. The report attributes the window failure to metal fatigue.

Ryanair Flight 1879 departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, bound for Memmingen, Germany, on July 10, 2026. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-800 operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair. There were 149 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane.

The No. 2 engine experienced a fan blade separation during climb out. Engine fragments breached the fuselage and shattered the window at row 11. The cabin depressurized and oxygen masks deployed.

Ljubisa Karovic, a 61-year-old Serbian man sitting in seat 11F, was partially sucked out of the broken window. Other passengers pulled Karovic back into the cabin. Karovic suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.

Karovic was moved to row 12 where a passenger who was a doctor provided treatment. Passengers used a metal box from the galley to attempt to block the broken window. "I don't remember much and my head and neck still hurt but I am still alive," Karovic said. "It could have been the seatbelt, the fact that I was still strapped in."

The flight returned to Thessaloniki International Airport and landed without further incident. Greek authorities delegated the NTSB as the lead investigating agency. Investigators found evidence of bird remains, including feathers, inside the failed engine. The bird remains were sent to the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Lab for examination.

The aircraft had four reported suspected bird strikes in the 12 months prior to the incident. Bird remains were found after two of the previous suspected bird strikes. Engine updates required for U.S. airlines by 2028 had not been made on this aircraft. Ryanair is an Irish airline and is not subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

The NTSB reprimanded Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary for commenting on the ongoing investigation. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy stated that accredited representatives are prohibited from making comments regarding the potential cause of an event during an ongoing investigation. Ryanair stated it would not comment until the NTSB investigation has concluded. Boeing stated it continues to support the investigation led by the NTSB.

Why It Matters

The events described span multiple years. The Transportation Department published a rule titled Airworthiness Directives; International Aero Engines AG Engines on September 5, 2025.

Timeline

On April 17, 2018, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 experienced a fan blade failure in the left engine, which resulted in engine debris breaking a passenger window and causing a woman to be partially sucked out of the plane, leading to her death.

Ryanair Flight 1879 departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, bound for Memmingen, Germany, on July 10, 2026. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-800 operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair. The No. 2 engine experienced a fan blade separation during climb out.

Ljubisa Karovic, a 61-year-old Serbian man sitting in seat 11F, was partially sucked out of the broken window. Karovic was moved to row 12 where a passenger who was a doctor provided treatment. The flight returned to Thessaloniki International Airport and landed without further incident.

What's New

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the Ryanair Flight 1879 incident on July 24, 2026. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy stated that accredited representatives are prohibited from making comments regarding the potential cause of an event during an ongoing investigation.

The Transportation Department published a rule titled Airworthiness Directives; International Aero Engines AG Engines on September 5, 2025. The engine's fan blades had undergone ultrasonic inspections in May 2026 and November 2025 with no damage found. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-800 operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair.

About 37 percent of the fracture surface on the failed blade showed features consistent with fatigue. The NTSB reprimanded Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary for commenting on the ongoing investigation.