A US TRANSPORT watchdog has taken over the investigation into last week’s Ryanair incident in which a passenger was partially sucked out of a cabin window after it dislodged in flight.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it would lead the investigation after Greek authorities delegated responsibility under international aviation rules.

“Following further analysis of the Ryanair Boeing 737 flight track, investigators determined that the accident occurred in Greek airspace,” the agency said.

It added that the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority had elected to delegate the investigation to the NTSB under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13.

“The NTSB accepted the delegation and is leading the investigation, with Greece participating as the Accredited Representative,” it said.

The incident happened last Friday on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany.

Πτήση θρίλερ από το «Μακεδονία» της #Θεσσαλονίκης- Έσπασε παράθυρο την ώρα της πτήσης, τραυματίστηκε επιβάτης - Διαβάστε περισσότερα: https://t.co/iUtFwCy2Ks pic.twitter.com/Ue88WkCcIF

— Rthess.gr (@RThessaloniki) July 10, 2026

The Boeing 737-800 returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off after what Ryanair described as a passenger window becoming dislodged in flight.

Serbian passenger Ljubisa Karović, 61, was left seriously injured after his head and shoulder were forced outside the aircraft during the rapid decompression.

His wife, Svetlana Grković Maksimović, told the BBC that she and two other passengers managed to pull him back inside.

She added that her husband’s “right shoulder and head were outside the plane”.

“We pulled him back together,” Maksimović said. “His entire face was deformed and blood was pouring from his nose and mouth.”

Speaking to Serbian outlet Nova, she said she “immediately reacted and grabbed his legs”, adding: “I thought: ‘If we die, we die together.’”

She said her husband remains in hospital and has suffered physical injuries and psychological trauma.

The cause of the incident has not yet been established, although local media reports have suggested debris from an apparent engine failure may have struck the window.

That has not been confirmed by investigators.

The aircraft involved was an 18-year-old Boeing 737-800 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.

Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration are expected to assist the NTSB investigation.