A Ryanair flight made an emergency return to Thessaloniki, Greece on Friday after a passenger window detached during flight, partially pulling a man outside the aircraft at altitude. Fellow passengers grabbed the Serbian tourist and pulled him back into the cabin before the Boeing 737 made its emergency descent, witnesses told Greek media.

The flight had departed Thessaloniki International Airport bound for Memmingen, Germany when the incident occurred over North Macedonia. Greek media reported that engine debris struck and shattered the window, causing rapid cabin decompression. The injured passenger suffered friction burns but remained in good condition after hospitalization, according to authorities.

A fellow passenger described the terrifying moments to Radio Thessaloniki. “Most of us had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. There was a noise, like a tire bursting,” she said, adding that oxygen masks deployed immediately as passengers realized decompression had occurred.

“The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seat belt,” the witness told the radio station, explaining that nearby passengers helped pull the man back inside the aircraft.

Rapid Decompression Creates Life-Threatening Forces

The passenger’s seatbelt likely played a crucial role in preventing complete ejection from the aircraft. Aviation experts have previously explained that rapid decompression creates enormous pressure differentials that can pull objects and people toward breaches in the aircraft hull. An aviation expert told CBS News following a similar 2018 incident that resulted in a passenger death that an “incredible amount of pressure” attempts to rush out through such openings.

The unnamed witness described chaos in the cabin as passengers woke to screaming and the strong smell that accompanies oxygen mask deployment. “There were screams… for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door,” she recalled, noting the confusion before passengers understood what had happened.

Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed the aftermath inside the cabin, with a shattered window frame and oxygen masks hanging from overhead compartments. The footage, which CBS News could not independently verify, showed no passengers in frame but clearly depicted the extent of the window damage.

Boeing 737 NG Returns Safely to Airport

Ryanair confirmed the incident in a brief statement, saying the flight “returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window detached during the flight.” The Irish carrier stated that the aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal building. The airline provided a replacement aircraft to transport the remaining passengers to their Memmingen destination.

FlightRadar24 data identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 NG model, an older-generation variant of Boeing’s workhorse single-aisle jet. Two industry sources confirmed to Reuters that a passenger was partially sucked out of the window opening, corroborating the witness accounts provided to Greek media outlets.

Local Greek media reported that a piece of the engine broke off and struck the window, causing it to shatter and triggering the rapid decompression. Two sources with direct knowledge of the incident relayed identical details to Reuters, though Ryanair did not immediately respond to requests for comment on that specific account of the cause.

Previous Day’s Diversion Raises Questions

The same aircraft had experienced another diversion on Thursday evening, returning to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff on a scheduled flight to Sarajevo, according to FlightRadar24 data and industry sources. The reason for that earlier diversion remains unclear, though the timing raises questions about whether warning signs existed that might have indicated developing mechanical issues.

A Greek airport source confirmed to Reuters that the aircraft remained grounded in Thessaloniki as of Friday afternoon. Investigators began examining the plane to determine the precise sequence of events that led to the window failure and what role, if any, the previous day’s diversion might play in understanding the incident.

Incident Adds to Boeing Scrutiny

The incident involving the Boeing 737 NG aircraft adds to ongoing scrutiny of various Boeing platforms. This older-generation model differs from the 737 MAX variant that faced worldwide grounding following fatal crashes. The 737 NG series has logged millions of flight hours across global fleets and maintains a generally strong safety record.

Ryanair operates one of Europe’s largest fleets of Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying millions of passengers annually on short-haul routes throughout the continent. The Irish low-cost carrier has built its business model around high aircraft utilization and quick turnaround times at airports.

The 2018 incident referenced by aviation experts involved a Southwest Airlines flight where an engine failure sent debris through a passenger window, resulting in one fatality. That tragedy prompted renewed focus on window structural integrity and the forces involved in rapid decompression events at cruising altitude.

Investigation Continues at Greek Airport

Greek aviation authorities began their formal investigation into Friday’s incident, with the damaged aircraft secured at Thessaloniki International Airport. Investigators will examine the failed window assembly, any recovered engine debris, and maintenance records for the aircraft to establish a definitive cause.

The investigation will likely focus on whether the engine component failure occurred first, sending debris toward the fuselage, or whether the window failed independently. Understanding the sequence of failures proves critical for preventing similar incidents and determining whether fleet-wide inspections might be necessary.

All passengers aboard the flight eventually continued to their Memmingen destination aboard the replacement aircraft provided by Ryanair. The airline stated that only one person received medical assistance, referring to the Serbian passenger who was hospitalized with friction burns but reported in good condition by Greek authorities.

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