Ryanair Passenger Partially Sucked Out of Broken Window During Flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen

During a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, a passenger was partially sucked out of a broken airplane window after a piece of the engine detached and shattered the window. The incident occurred shortly after the plane took off at 5:55 a.m. local time, when a loud explosion was heard inside the cabin at an altitude of about 6 kilometers. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the passenger's head and shoulders outside the window, with his wife holding him for approximately five minutes until other passengers helped pull him back inside. The passenger sustained minor injuries, including neck wounds, abrasions, and burns, and was conscious but in shock.

Oxygen masks deployed following the decompression, and the plane immediately turned back to Thessaloniki Airport, landing safely after about 74 minutes. Ryanair confirmed the window detached mid-flight and that the aircraft landed normally with all passengers returning to the terminal. The affected passenger, reportedly a 61-year-old Serbian man, received medical treatment on the ground. Additionally, a pregnant woman on board was hospitalized but later released in good condition. Official reports indicated no cracks or tears in the aircraft fuselage despite initial concerns. The crew identified the engine malfunction while flying over North Macedonia and decided to return to Thessaloniki as the issue could not be resolved in the air.