Window blows out on Ryanair flight, passenger nearly sucked out

A passenger narrowly escaped being sucked out of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft after a window detached during a flight operated by Malta Air on behalf of Ryanair. The harrowing incident occurred on a flight that had departed from Thessaloniki, Greece. Ljubisa Karović was seated near the window when it broke away during the flight. The sudden depressurization propelled his head and shoulders outside the aircraft, but his wife and fellow passengers managed to pull him back to safety. The event has raised questions about flight safety and the potential for such rare but dangerous occurrences. While the exact cause is still under investigation, passenger accounts and initial reports suggest that fragments from the right engine, which may have sustained damage at approximately 4,900 meters altitude, could have struck and broken the window. Ryanair confirmed the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff due to the detached cabin window. Authorities in North Macedonia stated the plane diverted due to an issue with the right engine and cabin depressurization. Karović's survival is attributed to him wearing his seatbelt, the relatively small size of commercial aircraft windows, and the rapid equalization of cabin pressure with the outside atmosphere. Experts explain that the initial strong airflow diminishes quickly as pressure levels stabilize. Such incidents are extremely rare, though not unprecedented. A similar event in 2018 involving a Southwest Airlines flight resulted in a fatality. Images circulating online appear to show a missing fan blade from the engine, similar to the damage seen in the 2018 accident. Another notable incident in 2024 involved a door plug detaching on an Alaska Airlines flight, though the seats near the opening were unoccupied.