Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany makes emergency landing after passenger partially sucked through window
A Ryanair flight turned into a nightmare when a cabin window gave way mid-air, triggering panic, falling oxygen masks and a desperate rescue to save a passenger.
A Ryanair passenger was partially sucked through a shattered cabin window after a terrifying mid-air decompression forced a flight back to Greece, with horrified travellers scrambling to pull the injured man back inside as oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.
The aircraft had just departed Thessaloniki for Memmingen in Germany when a window became dislodged shortly after take-off, triggering an emergency descent and return to the Greek city. Ryanair confirmed the flight landed safely and said one passenger required medical assistance, while Greek officials said a 61-year-old man suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.
Passengers described scenes of panic as a loud bang echoed through the cabin before the aircraft rapidly lost pressure.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.One passenger, identified only as Christina, told Thessaloniki radio that some passengers panicked and screamed and that one passenger was partially sucked out of the window.
“His whole head, neck, shoulders,” were pulled out of the window, she said, adding that those seated near him pulled him back in.
“Most people had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. We heard a sound, I’d describe it like a tyre bursting … but very loud,” she said.
“We knew straight away we lost pressure because we lost altitude … Screams, shrieks, shouting.”
Ryanair said the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki after “a passenger window dislodged inflight” but did not explain what caused the failure.
“The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal,” the airline said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft was a Boeing 737 NG and said it was prepared to support the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority and the US National Transportation Safety Board with the investigation.
Greek media reported a section of engine debris may have struck the window, causing the cabin to decompress, while two airport sources familiar with the incident relayed similar information to Reuters. However, investigators have not confirmed the cause.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft turned back to Thessaloniki shortly after departure on Friday morning. The same aircraft had also returned to the airport during a flight to Sarajevo the previous evening, although the reason for that diversion remains unclear.
Unverified videos shared on social media appeared to show a shattered window and oxygen masks hanging from the cabin ceiling after the emergency landing.
The aircraft remains grounded in Thessaloniki while investigators work to determine what caused the incident.
- With AP
