A 61-year-old Serbian man was reportedly almost sucked out of a shattered window on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, on Thursday. The incident occurred after an engine failure caused parts to smash the acrylic window, creating a dangerous depressurization.
Passenger Saved by Wife
The man was sucked out of his seat into the plane's slipstream, hanging headfirst out of the window. His wife saved him by holding onto his legs, preventing him from being completely ejected. He was taken to hospital suffering from shock and friction burns from the freezing wind, according to trade union official Michalis Giannakos, as reported by Greek news website Newsit.
Incident Details
The flight, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft reached 16,000 feet before descending back to the airport. The shattered window caused oxygen masks to deploy due to cabin depressurization.
Ryanair Response
A Ryanair spokesperson stated: "The aircraft landed normally and passengers were returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. In order to minimise any delay, a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen, which departed Thessaloniki at 9.53am local time this morning."
Union Official's Reaction
The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) described the incident as "almost a tragedy."
