Ljubiša Karović, a 61-year-old Serbian aluminium factory owner, was partially sucked out of a Ryanair cabin window mid-flight and recalls only the sound of an 'explosion'. The incident occurred on flight FR1879 from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, operated by Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary.
What happened during the flight
The Boeing 737 had been airborne for just 10 minutes when its second engine failed. A part of the engine struck the window next to seat 11F at 20,000 feet above North Macedonia. The resulting decompression forced Karović's body outward. His wife, Svetlana Grković, seated three rows behind in 14C, rushed forward and clung to his legs for five minutes while his head dangled outside the aircraft.
Karović told The Guardian: 'It's the noise before the chaos, the noise that is always there when I close my eyes to sleep.' He sustained friction burns from his right arm to his chest but considers himself 'lucky' to be alive. 'I don't remember much and my head and neck still hurt but I am still alive. It could have been the seatbelt, the fact that I was still strapped in. But maybe it is fate. I believe in God and I thank him every day.'
Passenger and crew response
Grković described chaos with oxygen masks dropping and bottles flying. She said no cabin crew helped initially; passengers intervened. 'One man, I think he was an Albanian, was incredible. He did all he could to bring him in and then tried to block the window, first with a bag that was immediately sucked out and then with a suitcase, which worked. We are eternally grateful to him.'
Once pulled inside, Karović was unconscious with a swollen, deformed face. He fainted twice more as the plane rapidly returned to Thessaloniki. A passenger told Greek station Radio Thessaloniki 94.5: 'There was a noise like a tyre bursting. There was panic with screaming, yelling and shouting because we immediately lost altitude from the decompression.'
Ryanair's statement
Ryanair stated the window 'dislodged inflight' and praised cabin crew for a 'phenomenal job'. The airline said: 'As soon as the aircraft descended to a safe altitude, our cabin crew attended to and assisted Mr Karović, moving him to alternate seats (beside his wife) and arranged for a doctor onboard to sit with them until the aircraft landed safely back in Thessaloniki. They also arranged to have medical assistance standing by on landing in Thessaloniki.'
Investigation and aircraft history
Greek aviation officials are investigating. The Boeing 737, in service since 2008, suffered a tyre burst during takeoff from Milan in 2023, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Aviation safety experts shared footage showing damaged fan blades on the engine.
