NTSB to probe Ryanair incident. Photo: Shutterstock The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has officially taken over the investigation into the Ryanair Boeing 737 accident that occurred on July 10, 2026, after investigators determined the incident occurred in Greek rather than North Macedonian airspace.
The development marks a significant shift in the international investigation and follows updated flight track analysis conducted in the days after the accident.
Initially, on the day of the incident that occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki to a city near Munich, the NTSB announced that it had appointed an Accredited Representative to assist the Republic of North Macedonia with its investigation, stating that the event had taken place over North Macedonia.
Under the rules set out in the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Annex 13, the country where an aviation accident occurs is responsible for leading the investigation. At the time, North Macedonia was considered the "State of Occurrence," with the NTSB participating in a supporting role.
However, in an update issued on July 16, the NTSB said investigators had conducted further analysis of the Boeing 737's flight path. Their findings showed that the incident during which a window dislodged, causing a man to be partially sucked out of the aircraft before he was pulled back in, had, in fact, occurred in Greek airspace.
"As a result, under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, which allow the country in which the accident occurs to delegate an investigation, the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority elected to delegate the investigation to the NTSB," the agency said.
The NTSB accepted the delegation and is now leading the investigation, while Greece is participating as the Accredited Representative.
Although Greece would ordinarily be responsible for investigating an accident within its airspace, ICAO rules permit states to transfer investigative authority to another country. The NTSB, which has extensive experience investigating major aviation accidents involving U.S.-manufactured aircraft, will now oversee the inquiry with the participation of Greek authorities.