A Ryanair Boeing 737 was forced to turn back to Thessaloniki on Friday after a cabin window dislodged shortly after takeoff and a passenger was partly pulled out of his seat, according to fellow travelers. Other passengers and the man's wife grabbed hold of him and kept him inside the aircraft until it landed. He was taken to a local hospital with friction burns and other injuries, according to reports.
Flight Turns Back Moments After Takeoff
The flight had departed Thessaloniki bound for Memmingen, Germany, before the crew turned the plane around and headed back to Thessaloniki International Airport. According to Flightradar24, the leg is recorded as FR1879 and shows the aircraft diverting back to SKG shortly after takeoff.
‘Like a Tire Bursting’: Sudden Bang, Rush of Air, Masks Drop
Passengers reported a loud bang and a rapid loss of cabin pressure. One traveler told Greek state broadcaster ERT that the sound was "like a tire bursting," and oxygen masks immediately fell from the ceiling. Witnesses told local outlets that the man seated beside the damaged window had “his head and shoulders sticking out of the broken window” while his wife clung to his legs and other passengers helped pull him back in, as reported by The Daily Beast.
Ryanair: ‘Normal Landing’ and One Passenger Treated
Ryanair said the aircraft landed normally and that “one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki,” and that a replacement plane later flew the passengers on to Germany, per reporting by The Seattle Times. Local reports say a pregnant passenger was checked and released, while the man who was partly pulled outside was hospitalized for further checks.
Possible Engine Debris Under Scrutiny
Aviation accounts and local reporting say a piece of debris from one of the jet's engines may have struck the cabin window, though authorities have not confirmed a cause. Many 737s fly with engines produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of GE and Safran that makes the CFM56 and LEAP families, which supply large numbers of single-aisle jets, per CFM International. There is precedent for catastrophic outcomes when engine debris breaches the fuselage: a 2018 fan-blade failure on Southwest Flight 1380 shattered a window and resulted in a passenger fatality, an episode that spurred industry safety reviews and regulatory attention, as reported by The Guardian.
Investigators Now Face a Lengthy Probe
Authorities had not confirmed a cause at the time of reporting. Mid-air structural failures are typically examined by national investigators and aviation safety agencies, and that process can take days or weeks. Flight logs and local coverage indicate the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki and that passengers were later transported on a substitute plane, per flight records and reporting. Hoodline will update this story as officials release findings and formal statements.
