‘His Head Was Outside the Window’ — Ryanair Passenger Nearly Sucked Out Mid-Flight

TLDR

• A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen returned to Greece after a cabin window detached mid-flight
• A Serbian passenger was partially pulled through the window before being held back by his seatbelt
• Other passengers helped pull the man back inside the cabin
• The passenger was hospitalised with friction burns but is in good condition
• Local media reported the window may have been struck by engine debris, though this is unconfirmed

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A Ryanair Boeing 737 made an emergency landing back in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Friday morning after a cabin window detached during the flight. The plane had been heading to Memmingen, Germany.

Ryanair was forced to make an emergency landing in Greece today after a window on the Boeing 737 broke off soon after takeoff

“The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window,” … “Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seat belt.”

The window was reportedly hit…

— WOLF (@WOLF_Financial) July 10, 2026

A Serbian tourist on board was partially pulled through the damaged window. He was saved by his seatbelt, which kept him from being fully ejected from the aircraft.

Fellow passengers near the man helped pull him back inside the cabin. The incident caused panic throughout the flight.

“Most of us had fallen asleep,” one passenger recalled. “There was a noise, like a tyre bursting.”

She said oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and there was a strong smell in the cabin. Passengers quickly realised the plane had undergone decompression.

“The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window,” she said. “Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seat belt.”

Emergency Landing and Response

Ryanair confirmed the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff. The aircraft landed normally and passengers were taken back to the terminal.

The affected passenger was taken to hospital following the landing. He was treated for friction burns but was otherwise reported to be in good condition.

Ryanair arranged a replacement aircraft to fly the remaining passengers to their destination in Memmingen.

Cause Under Investigation

Greek media reported the incident happened over North Macedonia. Local reports suggest a piece of debris from one of the plane’s engines may have struck and broken the window.

Ryanair has not officially confirmed the cause of the window detachment. Authorities are currently examining the incident, including reports of cabin decompression.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show a shattered window and oxygen masks hanging inside the cabin. The videos have not been independently verified.

The Boeing 737 involved in the incident is one of the most widely used commercial aircraft in the world. Ryanair is one of Europe’s largest low-cost carriers.

No other passengers were reported injured. Investigations into the incident are ongoing as of Friday.