A preliminary US investigation has found that fragments from a broken engine fan blade smashed a Ryanair aircraft window shortly after take-off from Thessaloniki, Greece, on 10 July. A Serbian passenger’s head and right shoulder were pulled through the missing window, seriously injuring him, before the crew returned safely to the airport; the findings underline the potentially severe consequences of an engine failure in flight.

The Boeing aircraft, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, was travelling to Memmingen, Germany, when the right engine developed high vibrations during the climb. After the vibrations worsened and the crew heard a loud bang, they declared an emergency and descended; cabin staff also reported vibrations, a small amount of smoke and oxygen masks deploying. The passenger’s wife and two other travellers reportedly held his legs for several minutes, while the engine had passed ultrasonic inspections in May and the NTSB investigation remains preliminary.