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Passenger injured after being partially sucked out of plane after takeoff
ABC7 Los Angeles • • world
Key Points:
- A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, returned to Thessaloniki after a passenger window broke shortly after takeoff, partially sucking a 61-year-old passenger out of the plane; he is now in ICU with neck, shoulder injuries, and friction burns.
- The incident reportedly began with an engine failure that caused debris to strike the fuselage and shatter the window, leading to rapid cabin depressurization and emergency descent.
- Passengers described a loud bang, deployment of oxygen masks, panic, and screams; fellow passengers helped pull the affected man back inside the aircraft.
- The Boeing 737-800, delivered to Ryanair in 2008, landed safely about an hour after takeoff, and a replacement plane was provided to continue the flight.
- Officials are investigating whether the passenger was wearing a seatbelt during the incident; the event is reminiscent of a 2018 Southwest Airlines accident involving engine failure and a passenger fatality.
