Ryanair Passenger Nearly Sucked Out of Window After Mid-Air Detachment.
A Serbian tourist was nearly pulled out of a Ryanair aircraft window after it detached mid-air during a flight from Greece to Germany this morning — with fellow passengers forced to drag him back inside by his seatbelt.
The incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, shortly after takeoff, when a piece of debris reportedly broke loose from one of the plane's engines and shattered the passenger window.
What Happened:
"Most of us had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes; there was a noise, like a tyre bursting," one passenger recounted. "We immediately realised there had been a decompression."
"There were screams... the head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window," she said. "Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt."
Other passengers sitting near the man managed to pull him back inside as the cabin depressurised and oxygen masks dropped.
The Passenger:
The man, identified as a tourist from Serbia, has been hospitalised with friction burns but is otherwise in good condition. His seatbelt is being credited with saving his life.
The Aircraft:
Greek media reported the incident occurred over North Macedonia and that the window was broken by debris from one of the Boeing 737's engines.
Ryanair confirmed the flight "returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window detached during the flight," adding that the aircraft landed normally and passengers were returned to the terminal. A replacement aircraft was arranged to complete the journey to Memmingen.
The Bigger Picture:
The incident raises fresh questions about aircraft maintenance and debris containment on commercial flights. While Ryanair has not confirmed the cause, the suggestion that engine debris broke a passenger window mid-flight will likely trigger an investigation by aviation authorities.