Midair Terror: Passenger Nearly Sucked Out After Plane Window Comes Loose

A terrifying incident unfolded aboard a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany after a window partially gave way shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki International Airport. A 61-year-old Serbian passenger was nearly pulled out of the aircraft through the compromised window as cabin pressure dropped suddenly and violently.

The passenger was partially drawn through the opening before his seatbelt and the rapid intervention of fellow passengers prevented him from being fully ejected. Oxygen masks deployed automatically as the incident began. The flight crew responded swiftly, turning the aircraft around and executing an emergency landing back at Thessaloniki without further incident.

A preliminary investigation suggests the window failed after being struck by debris from the engine, which shed fragments at approximately 20,000 feet — a scenario bearing resemblance to previous high-profile engine failure incidents in commercial aviation. Following the emergency landing, the passenger was taken for medical treatment; his condition is described as stable, though he sustained friction burns consistent with the nature of the incident.

Passengers who spoke with AFP described the moment the crisis began: "We heard a noise — like a tire impact. We immediately understood there had been a loss of cabin pressure. There were screams. We thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door, and then the oxygen masks dropped. Fortunately, the man had not removed his seatbelt."

The aircraft involved — an 18-year-old jet operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary — was taken out of service following the emergency landing. A replacement aircraft was arranged to continue the passengers' journey to Memmingen, Germany.

Ryanair told the BBC that the company would extend full cooperation to Greece's air safety investigation authority and Malta's civil aviation directorate to assist with the ongoing investigation.