US Takes Lead in Ryanair 737 NG Engine Failure Probe Over Greece

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Thursday it will lead the investigation into an engine failure on a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG that occurred over Greece last week. According to the NTSB, Greek authorities have delegated the lead investigative role to the U.S. agency.

Incident Details

The incident took place on July 10 shortly after the Ryanair flight departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, bound for Germany. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that a piece of an engine broke off and struck a passenger window, causing the cabin to lose pressure and forcing an emergency landing.

A Serbian national, Ljubisa Karovic, was partially pulled through the broken window and was held by fellow passengers, according to reports. The passenger was subsequently hospitalized with injuries.

Parallels to Previous Events

The event bears similarities to two prior incidents involving Southwest Airlines' Boeing 737 NG aircraft in 2016 and 2018. In the 2018 incident, a passenger died after being partially pulled from a window that was damaged by a broken engine fan blade.

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Despite the parallels, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters that early indications suggest the Ryanair failure may not mimic the 2018 Southwest incident. However, Bedford also stated the investigation is prompting a full review of the FAA's response to the earlier event. "Did we miss something? Way too early to tell -- but we can’t take it off the board yet," Bedford said.

Regulatory and Industry Context

Following the fatal 2018 event, the NTSB recommended that Boeing redesign the fan cowl structure on its 737 NG fleet. In 2023, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive mandating changes to be completed by July 2028.

• The aircraft involved in all three incidents is the Boeing 737 NG, the predecessor to the current MAX generation.
• Ryanair's 737 NG fleet uses CFM56 engines, manufactured by CFM International.
• Southwest Airlines said Thursday it has already completed the required modifications on approximately 80% of its affected aircraft and is ahead of the 2028 deadline.