Reports out of Greece describe a terrifying incident onboard a Ryanair flight to Germany: a cabin window failed after takeoff, oxygen masks dropped, and a passenger seated by the window was partially sucked out and had to be pulled back inside the aircraft.

Ryanair Passenger Partially Sucked Toward Broken 737 Window After Takeoff From Greece

A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece (SKG) to Memmingen, Germany (FMM) returned safely to Greece after a cabin window failed shortly after takeoff, reportedly causing a passenger seated beside it to be partially pulled toward the opening.

As first flagged by One Mile at a Time, the incident occurred on Ryanair flight FR1879, operated by Malta Air on behalf of Ryanair. The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, registration 9H-QEU, and departed Thessaloniki for Memmingen on Friday morning.

The flight took off from Thessaloniki and was climbing when one of the cabin windows on the right side of the aircraft reportedly shattered or dislodged. Oxygen masks deployed, the aircraft descended, and the crew returned to Thessaloniki, where the flight landed safely about an hour after departure.

Ryanair said that the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window “dislodged inflight,” adding that the aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground.

That phrasing is very careful, as airline statements usually are. But local reports describe a far more dramatic scene onboard.

A 61-year-old Serbian passenger seated next to the affected window was reportedly pulled toward the opening during the decompression. His wife and nearby passengers helped restrain him and pull him back fully inside the aircraft. The passenger was taken to a hospital with reported friction burns, while several others were also evaluated. Thankfully, reports there were no fatalities and the man should be okay.

Was This Caused By Engine Debris?

The most important question is what caused the window failure.

Initial reports suggest that debris from an engine issue may have struck the cabin window, causing the shattering. That has not been confirmed by investigators, and it is far too early to state definitively what happened.

But if that is accurate, the incident would immediately invite comparison to Southwest Airlines flight 1380 in 2018, when debris from an engine failure struck a cabin window, causing a passenger, Jennifer Riordan, to be partially pulled out of the aircraft. She later died from her injuries.

That tragedy is precisely why this Ryanair incident is so chilling. It appears, at least based on early reporting, that this could have been far worse.

It is also worth noting this was a Boeing 737-800, part of the 737 Next Generation family, not a 737 MAX. That distinction will inevitably be lost in some headlines, but this is one of the most reliable workhorses in the sky today.

At the same time, the aircraft type is not the central issue here. The focus should be on what failed, why debris may have struck the cabin window, and whether anything in the aircraft’s maintenance history made this more likely.

CONCLUSION

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 operating from Thessaloniki to Memmingen returned safely to Greece after a cabin window failed shortly after takeoff. Oxygen masks deployed, and a passenger seated next to the window was reportedly partially pulled toward the opening before being helped back inside by his wife and nearby passengers.

The early reports are frightening, but the outcome could have been much worse: the aircraft landed safely and the passenger should be okay. Now investigators will need to determine exactly what happened. If engine debris struck the window, that raises serious questions about the underlying failure. In any case, it’s another reminder to buckle up when seated.

image: @RThessaloniki/X

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

SUBSCRIBE!

You have Successfully Subscribed!