Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany makes emergency landing after passenger partially sucked through window
A Ryanair passenger was sucked in through a partially shattered cabin window as oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and terrified passengers struggled to pull the injured man inside after a terrifying mid-air decompression caused him to crash back into Greece.
The plane had just left Thessaloniki for Memmingen in Germany when a window came loose shortly after takeoff, triggering an emergency landing and return to the Greek city. Ryanair confirmed the plane landed safely and said one passenger required medical attention, while Greek authorities said a 61-year-old man suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.
Passengers described scenes of panic as a loud bang that echoed through the cabin before the plane rapidly lost pressure.
A passenger identified only as Christina told Thessaloniki radio that some passengers panicked and screamed, and one passenger was partially pulled out of the window.
Her “entire head, neck and shoulders” were pulled out the window, she said, adding that people sitting next to her pulled her back inside.
“Most people had fallen asleep, we had our eyes closed. We heard a noise, I would compare it to a tire burst… but it was very loud,” he said.
“We knew right away that we were losing pressure because we were losing altitude… Screaming, screaming, screaming.”
Ryanair said the plane returned to Thessaloniki after “the passenger window became dislodged during the flight” but did not say what caused the failure.
“The plane landed normally and the passengers returned to the terminal,” the airline said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the plane was a Boeing 737 NG and said it was ready to support the Greek Civil Aviation Authority and the US National Transportation Safety Board with the investigation.
Greek media reported that some of the engine parts may have hit the glass, causing the pressure in the cabin to decrease. Two airport sources familiar with the incident gave similar information to Reuters. However, researchers have not confirmed why.
Flight tracking data showed the plane returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff on Friday morning. The same plane had returned to the airport during its flight to Sarajevo the previous evening, but the reason for this diversion remains unclear.
Unverified videos shared on social media showed a shattered window and oxygen masks hanging from the cabin ceiling after the emergency landing.
The plane remains grounded in Thessaloniki as investigators work to determine the cause of the incident.
-with AP
