Passenger Survives Partial Ejection After Window Blows Out on Ryanair Flight
On a recent flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Malta, a Ryanair-Air Malta Boeing 737-800 experienced a dramatic incident when a window blew out at approximately 16,000 feet. Passenger Ljubisa Karović was partially sucked out of the aircraft, with his head and shoulders pulled through the broken window. His wife and fellow passengers helped keep him inside until the plane returned safely to Thessaloniki.
Cause of the Incident
Investigators have not yet confirmed the exact cause, but passenger reports indicate that debris from a failed right engine struck and broke the window. Ryanair confirmed the flight "returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window dislodged inflight." North Macedonian authorities stated the plane turned back due to a right engine issue and cabin decompression. Footage posted online suggests a missing fan blade, similar to the 2018 Southwest Airlines incident where a fan blade broke off and shattered a window.
Why Wasn't He Sucked Out Completely?
Karović's seatbelt played a crucial role. According to Dr. Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth, "The airflow is sudden and will stop once the pressure inside the cabin is same as the pressure outside." Additionally, the small size of aircraft windows means an adult body can physically block the hole, and the most severe suction is short-lived.
How Common Are Such Incidents?
Window blowouts are extremely rare but not unprecedented. In 2018, a Southwest Airlines passenger died after being partially sucked out of a window. In 2024, a Boeing 737-Max door panel blew out on an Alaska Air flight, but adjacent seats were unoccupied. Pilots have also experienced cockpit windshield failures, such as the 2018 Sichuan Airlines incident where the co-pilot suffered a broken wrist, and the 1990 British Airways case where the pilot was held in by his legs for 20 minutes.
Survival and Injuries
Karović is being treated for injuries including nose and mouth bleeding, a damaged hand, and friction burns. Dr. Simon Bennett, a pilot and director of the civil safety and security unit at University of Leicester, noted, "Hypoxia is one risk, the other is physical trauma, and the other is psychological trauma... But one can survive."
Risk Factors and Safety Advice
Those closest to the window and not wearing seatbelts are most at risk. Dr. Knight explained, "The maximum speed of airflow is through the window itself, so anybody close to the window that could fit through the window is at risk." Passengers in adjacent rows are often protected by seats. Experts recommend wearing seatbelts at all times and avoiding window seats near engines. The shattered window on the Ryanair flight is believed to be around seats 12F, 14F, or 15F.
Maintenance Concerns
Dr. Bennett expressed concern about the "exponential" rise in subcontracting manufacturing and maintenance, which can compromise quality control. Old airframes with accumulated minor fractures may be more vulnerable to explosive decompression. However, formal investigations will determine the exact cause of this incident.
