Translated with AI
A Ryanair Boeing 737, flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, was forced to return to the airport shortly after takeoff after one of the windows was damaged. During the incident, one passenger was partially pulled into the window, but other passengers were able to return him to the cabin, the BBC reports.
According to Ryanair, the return was caused by a passenger window coming loose during the flight. The plane landed safely, after which the passengers returned to the terminal. One of them sought medical attention in Thessaloniki and received the necessary treatment.
According to eyewitnesses, the victim was a 60-year-old Serbian citizen. They said he was in a precarious position for several minutes before nearby passengers were able to pull him back into the car. He was reportedly wearing his seatbelt, which likely prevented more serious consequences.
A few hours later, the airline arranged an additional flight that took passengers to Memmingen.
Greek and German media, citing passengers, report that a loud sound, reminiscent of an explosion, was heard in the cabin before the incident. Following this, one of the windows was destroyed, and oxygen masks automatically dropped from the overhead panels.
Some passengers speculated that the damage could have been caused by an engine explosion, but Ryanair did not comment on this theory.
One of the passengers, Christina, told Radio Thessaloniki that decompression became apparent immediately after the incident. She said panic broke out in the cabin, passengers began screaming, and for a brief moment, she thought someone had opened the emergency exit.
She also reported that after the oxygen masks fell out, a strong odor appeared in the cabin, and one passenger's head and shoulders were ejected from the plane. She said the man was saved by not unbuckling his seatbelt.
The Boeing 737-800, registration 9H-QEU, was manufactured in 2008 and operated by Ryanair's subsidiary, Malta Air.
The Irish Aviation Authority said it was aware of the incident and was ready to provide the necessary assistance to authorities in Greece and Malta, who are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The article also recalls a similar incident that occurred in 2018 in the United States on board a Southwest Airlines flight. After part of the fuselage collapsed due to a broken engine fan blade, passenger Jennifer Riordan was partially ejected from the cabin. Despite an emergency landing and hospitalization, her life could not be saved.
