A 61-year-old Ryanair passenger was nearly sucked out of a window during a flight from Greece to Germany after the window broke when the engine behind it failed. The man was saved only because his wife grabbed his legs and pulled him back inside, according to local media reports.
Incident details
The incident occurred on Friday, July 10, 2026, aboard a Boeing 737-8AS flying from Thessaloniki to Memmingen. The window dislodged shortly after takeoff, causing the man to be pulled into the slipstream. He suffered shock and friction burns from the icy air outside before his wife managed to pull him back into the cabin.
Ryanair response
Ryanair confirmed the event in a statement: 'A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight. The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. In order to minimise any delay, a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen, which departed Thessaloniki at 9:53 local time this morning.'
Aftermath
The man was taken to hospital for treatment. The flight's diversion and replacement aircraft caused a delay, but all other passengers continued their journey to Memmingen. The incident is under investigation.
