Ryanair passenger partially sucked out of broken window after takeoff from Greece

A passenger on a Ryanair flight was reportedly nearly sucked out of a broken window in midair on Friday morning.

The incident occurred on Flight 1879 from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, after a piece of debris came off one of the airliner’s engines and broke the window shortly after takeoff, Greek media outlets reported.

A woman who was on the flight and witnessed the incident told Radio Thessaloniki that most of the passengers on the flight were asleep and “immediately realized there had been a decompression” when they were awoken by a noise that sounded “like tire bursting.”

“The masks dropped and there was a strong smell. The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seat belt,” the woman explained.

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Reuters reported that two industry sources indicated that the passenger was partially sucked out of the broken window.

Greek media reports indicated that passengers, including his wife, held him in his seat amid the incident, which prompted the flight to return to Thessaloniki after it occurred following takeoff.

The passenger was described as a 61-year-old tourist from Serbia, and authorities said he was being treated for friction burns and shock but was otherwise in good condition.

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Ryanair told FOX Business in a statement that the “flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight.”

“The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki,” the company said, adding that a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen.

The airline’s statement did not discuss the nature of the incident that prompted the need for medical assistance or injuries incurred.

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A similar incident occurred on a 2018 Southwest Airlines flight, when engine debris broke a window causing a passenger to be partially sucked out of the window. The passenger died of her injuries in that incident.

In January 2024, the door plug of an Alaska Airlines flight blew out shortly after takeoff and caused a decompression of the plane’s cabin. Several minor injuries were reported in the decompression, but all passengers and crew survived.

Reuters contributed to this report.