The incident happened onboard a Ryanair flight to Memmingham on 10 July shortly after it took off from Thessaloniki. The flight was operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.
Fellow passengers, including the Serbian man's wife, clung onto the man's legs for several minutes while his head and right shoulder were outside the cabin after the cabin depressurised.
The crew opted to return to Thessaloniki International airport where the aircraft landed safely. The man, who was assisted by another passenger who was a doctor, was subsequently treated for serious injuries and shock.
A preliminary report by the US National Transportation Safety Board said the aircraft experienced "a No. 2 (right) engine fan-blade-out (FBO) failure during climb out". The resultant fan blade separation caused engine fragments to strike the fuselage.
There were 149 passengers and six crew onboard the aircraft.
The window was shattered by a broken engine fan blade
Following a "high vibration" alert, the crew reduced the engine power and carried out checks, only for the engine vibrations to increase again before a loud bang. Oxygen masks were deployed and the pilot began an emergency descent.
The report also details the efforts by other passengers and crew to help the man. "The FA [flight attendant] noticed the passenger in seat 11F was partially lodged in a damaged cabin window, and that the entire window was missing," it read. "Other passengers were assisting and managed to pull the injured passenger back into the cabin."
Maintenance records reveal the engine fan blades underwent ultrasonic inspection on 11 November 2025 and again on 24 May 2026 with no findings.
However, the report did reveal the affected engine had suffered four suspected bird strikes in the 12 months preceding the incident. Bird remains were reportedly found in two of the cases, but no damage was found.
The investigation is ongoing.