A Ryanair flight encountered a mid-air emergency when debris struck a window, causing injury to a passenger who was reportedly partially pulled towards the opening. The flight, traveling from Thessaloniki to Memmingen in Germany, had to return to Greece following the incident. The debris, believed to have originated from the engine, hit the window during the flight.
The pilot identified an engine issue over North Macedonia shortly after departure at 5:55 am local time from Greece, prompting the decision to head back to Thessaloniki. As the aircraft descended, a section of the damaged engine broke off, hitting a cabin window and resulting in minor injuries to a 61-year-old passenger from Serbia. Witnesses mentioned that the captain urgently declared an “emergency,” and oxygen masks were deployed.
Passengers recounted that the window shattered during the flight, an event captured in circulating online videos. According to reports, a man seated by the window was partially pulled out, with his head and shoulders protruding through the broken window.
Upon the return to Thessaloniki, lasting about 20 minutes, emergency services transported the injured passenger to a local hospital. He sustained a neck wound and bruising from the impact but remained conscious despite shock. An eyewitness shared that a loud noise preceded the window breakage, causing a depressurization of the cabin and the release of oxygen masks.
Fellow passengers assisted in preventing the man from being fully pulled out through the window. Descriptions from witnesses indicated that the man’s body was almost halfway outside the plane, with his wife among those helping to secure him. Ryanair later issued a statement confirming the incident and the safe landing back in Thessaloniki, where medical assistance was provided to the injured passenger. A replacement aircraft was arranged for the passengers to continue their journey to Memmingen without significant delays.
The Mirror has reached out to Ryanair for further comments.
