Ryanair Passenger Partially Sucked Out of Window Mid-Flight

Ryanair Passenger Partially Sucked Out of Window on Flight From Greece

A routine morning flight out of Greece turned into a terrifying ordeal on Friday, July 10, 2026, after a passenger window dislodged mid-air, partially pulling a 61-year-old man out of the aircraft before fellow travelers managed to hold him inside.

What Happened on the Ryanair Flight

The incident occurred aboard Ryanair Flight 1879, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, near Munich, Germany. Shortly after takeoff, a window on the Boeing 737-800 dislodged in flight, triggering a sudden decompression of the cabin.

A fellow passenger named Christina, speaking to Thessaloniki radio, described the chaos that followed. She said oxygen masks dropped and a strong smell filled the cabin as the man’s head and shoulders were pulled outside the window. She added that the man had fortunately kept his seatbelt fastened, which likely kept him from being pulled completely out of the aircraft.

Other passengers recalled hearing a loud bang moments before the decompression, comparing the noise to a tire bursting. The cabin reportedly erupted in screams, with some passengers briefly fearing an emergency door had accidentally opened.

Passengers Held Him Inside the Plane

According to a Greek doctor who treated the man on the tarmac after landing, the passenger’s own wife played a critical role in the rescue — holding onto her husband’s feet to keep him from being fully pulled out of the plane during the incident. Nearby passengers also helped pull him back inside.

The man, identified as a 61-year-old tourist from Serbia, suffered neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns. He was hospitalized and treated for shock, with officials saying he was in stable condition. Reports indicate he was later moved to intensive care for continued treatment.

Why the Window Broke

Greek media reported that the incident occurred as the aircraft was climbing over North Macedonia, and that the window was struck and broken by a piece of debris that had detached from one of the plane’s engines. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft climbed past 15,000 feet before rapidly descending as the crew responded to the loss of cabin pressure.

The Boeing 737-800 involved was originally delivered to Ryanair in 2008 and can seat up to 189 passengers, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.

Ryanair’s Response

In a statement, Ryanair confirmed the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff following the window failure, and that the aircraft landed normally with all passengers returning safely to the terminal. The airline said one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground, and that a replacement aircraft was arranged to complete the journey to Memmingen, departing later that same morning.

Boeing also confirmed it was aware of the incident and is in contact with the airline as the investigation continues.

Investigation Underway

U.S. aviation authorities have also become involved given the aircraft’s American manufacturer. The FAA said it stands ready to support Greek authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the incident, confirming the jet involved was a U.S.-made Boeing aircraft.

Greek officials said they are working to determine several key details, including whether the passenger was wearing his seatbelt at the moment the window failed — though multiple passenger accounts suggest he was buckled in, which may have prevented a far more serious outcome.

A History of Similar Incidents

While rare, this isn’t the first time engine debris has caused a mid-flight window failure. A strikingly similar incident occurred on a Southwest Airlines flight in 2018, when debris from a damaged engine broke a cabin window and partially pulled a passenger out. In that case, the passenger did not survive her injuries.

Aviation experts have noted that due to the dramatic pressure differential at altitude, a person can be forced through even a small opening in a compromised cabin if not properly restrained — underscoring why seatbelt use during flight, even when the seatbelt sign is off, remains a critical safety measure.

More recently, a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight blew out shortly after takeoff in January 2024, causing a similar rapid decompression. That incident resulted in only minor injuries, with all passengers and crew surviving.

What’s Next

Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget carrier, has not indicated whether the aircraft involved will return to service pending the outcome of the investigation. As authorities continue examining the engine debris and the mechanics of the window failure, more details are expected to emerge in the coming days.

This article will be updated as investigators release further findings on the cause of the window failure.