Ryanair passenger almost sucked out of aircraft in mid-air
What's the story
A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany was nearly sucked out of the aircraft after a cabin window detached mid-air. The incident forced fellow travelers to pull him back inside, according to witnesses and officials. The passenger, a Serbian tourist, was on his way from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany when the incident occurred.
Flight details
Aircraft returned to Thessaloniki
The aircraft was forced to return to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off due to what Ryanair described as a "passenger window detachment" during the flight. Visuals circulating after the incident showed oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling and a damaged section of the cabin window area. A fellow passenger told Radio Thessaloniki that most people on board had fallen asleep when they heard a loud sound resembling an explosion.
Passenger account
'We immediately realized there had been a decompression'
The witness said, "We immediately realized there had been a decompression. There were screams... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door." She added that oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and a strong smell spread through the cabin after the sudden loss of pressure. "The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn't taken off his seat belt," she said.
Airline response
What did Ryanair say?
Ryanair confirmed the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki shortly after departure. "The flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window detached during the flight. The aircraft landed normally and the passengers returned to the terminal," the airline said in a statement. It also said that a replacement aircraft was arranged to transport remaining passengers to Memmingen.
Cause inquiry
Passenger hospitalized with friction burns
The aircraft involved was reportedly a Boeing 737, and the incident occurred shortly after the flight departed from Greece. Authorities are investigating the cause of the window detachment and whether it was linked to an engine-related failure or external debris impact. The passenger was later hospitalized with friction burns but was reported to be in stable condition, authorities said.