Ryanair Passenger Partially Ejected From Window Following In-Flight Emergency
During a mid-air emergency over Greece, a Ryanair passenger was partially ejected from a window, resulting in injuries.
A Ryanair flight made an emergency landing in Greece on Friday after a passenger was partially sucked through a dislodged window shortly after take-off, as reported by airport sources.
The Boeing 737 NG aircraft was en route from Thessaloniki to Memmingen in Germany when it made a return to Thessaloniki after a passenger window became loose during the flight.
“The aircraft landed without incident and passengers made their way back to the terminal,” Ryanair stated.
The injured passenger, a Serbian national, was transported to AHEPA University General Hospital in Thessaloniki. The Serbian consulate reported that his injuries were not life-threatening, although doctors were still evaluating his condition.
Serbian media reported a passenger stating that the man’s head and shoulders were pulled outside the aircraft before other passengers successfully pulled him back inside.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that the aircraft in question was a Boeing 737 NG, which is the generation preceding the 737 MAX.
Boeing announced its support for an investigation conducted by North Macedonia.
“We are in ongoing communication with and continue to provide support to our customer, Ryanair,” the company stated.
Local media reported that a section of an engine detached and shattered a window shortly after take-off, resulting in cabin decompression. Two airport sources with knowledge of the incident provided Reuters with identical accounts.
A video circulating on social media seemed to depict an uncontained engine failure, featuring several missing fan blades. Failures of this nature happen when engine components disintegrate and exit the engine casing.
Flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft made a return to Thessaloniki shortly after its departure on Friday.
The same aircraft returned to Thessaloniki during a flight to Sarajevo on Thursday evening, though the reason for this diversion is still unclear.
The FAA confirmed that a window shattered during Friday’s flight and stated it was ready to assist with the investigation. Serbian state television broadcast footage depicting the damaged window within the aircraft.
Ryanair’s Boeing 737 NG fleet is equipped with CFM56 engines produced by CFM International, a collaboration between General Electric and Safran. The engine maker chose not to provide a comment.
Unverified videos shared on social media displayed a broken window and oxygen masks dangling from the cabin ceiling.
The aircraft is currently grounded in Thessaloniki as investigators look into the cause of the incident.
The accident has prompted comparisons to a 2018 incident involving a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 NG engine failure, during which a broken fan blade shattered a window and partially ejected a passenger from the aircraft. The passenger subsequently passed away, marking the first fatality on a US passenger airline in nine years.
In the aftermath of the crash, the US National Transportation Safety Board advised Boeing to undertake a redesign of the fan cowl structure on 737 NG aircraft. The FAA subsequently mandated Boeing to finalize the redesign by July 2028.
Tammie Jo Shults, the pilot who safely landed the Southwest flight in 2018, remarked on the striking similarities between the two incidents.
They have an engine that fails. External damage is present. “It’s not merely an engine that has stopped functioning, which has resulted in increased drag,” she stated.
