Passenger nearly sucked out of Ryanair flight window after it detached mid-air

A terrifying incident occurred on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when a passenger window detached shortly after takeoff, nearly sucking a man out of the aircraft. The passenger, reportedly a Serbian tourist, was saved only because he had not removed his seatbelt.

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The passenger's head and shoulders were outside the window.

Witnesses described a loud noise, likened to a tire bursting, followed by a sudden decompression. "The passenger's head and shoulders were outside the window," one passenger told local radio. "Fortunately, he had not removed his seatbelt." Other passengers nearby reacted quickly, pulling the man back into the cabin.

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Fortunately, he had not removed his seatbelt.

Ryanair confirmed that a "passenger window detached in flight" shortly after departure. Greek media reported the aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, and that the window was broken by debris from one of the engines. The passenger who was exposed suffered friction burns but did not sustain serious injuries, according to authorities, and was hospitalized in Thessaloniki.

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A passenger window detached in flight.

The flight experienced a significant cabin pressure drop, with oxygen masks deploying and a strong odor filling the cabin. The plane returned to Thessaloniki, where it landed normally. Ryanair provided a replacement aircraft to transport the remaining passengers to their destination in Germany.

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The window was broken by a debris that detached from one of the engines.