What Is Known About the Ryanair Emergency Over Greece.
A Ryanair-operated flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Friday, July 10, after a passenger window became dislodged and the cabin rapidly lost pressure.
The flight was operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary, using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
A 61-year-old passenger sitting beside the damaged window was partially pulled through the opening. Witnesses said his head, neck and shoulders were outside the aircraft before nearby passengers managed to pull him back inside.
The passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns. His injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.
Oxygen masks deployed during the decompression, and the pilots returned safely to Thessaloniki. The remaining passengers were later taken to Germany on a replacement aircraft.
The US National Transportation Safety Board said it had been informed of a right-engine problem and cabin decompression. Early reports suggest engine debris may have struck the aircraft and dislodged the window, but the exact cause has not yet been officially established.
Because the incident reportedly occurred in North Macedonian airspace, North Macedonia’s aviation authorities are leading the investigation, with assistance from other aviation agencies and manufacturers.
Despite some dramatic descriptions online, the passenger was not completely sucked out of the aircraft. He was partially pulled through the window and rescued by fellow passengers.
The investigation is continuing, and early claims about the precise mechanical failure should be treated as preliminary until an official report is released.
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