Man nearly sucked out of window on Ryanair flight

A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany narrowly escaped being pulled out of the aircraft when a window detached mid-flight. The incident occurred on a flight traveling from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany.

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Most of us had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes; there was a noise, like a tyre bursting.

Other passengers described hearing a loud noise, akin to a tire bursting, followed by a sudden decompression. Oxygen masks dropped from the cabin ceiling, and a strong smell filled the air. One passenger recounted seeing the head and shoulders of another passenger outside the window.

Fortunately, the passenger who was partially outside the aircraft had not unbuckled his seatbelt. Those seated nearby acted quickly, helping to pull him back into the safety of the cabin. The passenger sustained friction burns but was reported to be in good condition and was taken to a hospital.

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We immediately realised there had been a decompression.

Greek media indicated the incident happened over North Macedonia. Reports suggest a piece of debris from one of the plane's engines may have caused the window to break.

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There were screams ... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door.

Ryanair confirmed the flight "returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window detached during the flight." The airline stated the aircraft landed normally, and a replacement plane was arranged to transport the remaining passengers to their destination.

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The masks dropped and there was a strong smell; the head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window.