A passenger narrowly escaped tragedy after he was reportedly almost pulled out of a Ryanair aircraft when a window near his seat detached during a flight from Greece to Germany.
The Serbian tourist was travelling from Thessaloniki to Memmingen when the terrifying incident unfolded. Fellow passengers acted quickly, pulling him back into the cabin and preventing what could have been a fatal accident.
The man reportedly sustained friction-related injuries during the ordeal but was said to be in stable condition after receiving treatment at a hospital.
One passenger told Radio Thessaloniki that most people on board had been asleep when a loud bang echoed through the aircraft.
“We heard a loud explosion, like a tyre bursting, before realising the cabin had suddenly depressurised,” the passenger said.
He initially believed someone had accidentally opened the emergency exit after hearing screams throughout the cabin.
According to the witness, oxygen masks were automatically deployed while a strong odour quickly filled the aircraft.
“I saw a passenger’s head and shoulders outside the window. Fortunately, he was still wearing his seatbelt,” the witness added.
Passengers seated nearby immediately rushed to help and managed to pull the man safely back into the aircraft.
Greek media reported that the incident occurred while the plane was flying over North Macedonia. Preliminary reports suggested the window may have been damaged after being struck by debris believed to have detached from one of the aircraft’s engines.
Ryanair later confirmed the aircraft safely returned to Thessaloniki shortly after the incident.
The airline said all passengers were escorted back to the terminal before a replacement aircraft was arranged to continue the journey to Memmingen.
