Overview
- A piece of the right engine broke off shortly after takeoff on July 10, shattering a cabin window and partly sucking passenger Ljubiša Karović out of the Ryanair‑operated Boeing 737‑800 before the jet returned to Thessaloniki for an emergency landing.
- The investigation is being led by the NTSB with technical assistance from the FAA, EASA and Boeing, and investigators are examining engine debris, possible foreign‑object damage and the aircraft’s age and servicing records.
- Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told analysts initial signs pointed to foreign‑object damage and defended recent maintenance, but NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote that no causal determination has been made and faulted his public comments for violating disclosure rules.
- Karović has reported severe physical injuries and long‑term trauma, his wife Svetlana Grković held on to his legs to keep him from falling, and emergency services treated several passengers after the landing.
- If investigators confirm an uncontained engine failure or maintenance issues, regulators typically order targeted inspections or airworthiness directives for Boeing 737 Next Generation jets, a step being weighed in light of past 737 NG engine incidents and a 2023 FAA directive.