Ryanair passenger, 61, nearly sucked out of plane after engine debris shatters window

A 61-year-old Serbian passenger on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, was nearly sucked out of the aircraft after engine debris shattered a cabin window.

The incident occurred shortly after takeoff on Friday morning aboard Ryanair Flight FR1879, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Malta Air. Debris from one of the engines struck the fuselage, shattering the window.

The man, seated next to the damaged window, was partially pulled outward by the pressure change. Fellow passengers, including his wife, quickly restrained him and pulled him back inside. He suffered friction burns and possible neck injuries.

Oxygen masks deployed automatically during the emergency. The crew returned the aircraft safely to Thessaloniki, where the passenger was taken to AHEPA University General Hospital for treatment and a CT scan.