The damaged Boeing 737 returned safely to Greece as aviation authorities began examining what caused the midair emergency.
THESSALONIKI, Greece — A 61-year-old passenger was nearly pulled through a broken window aboard a Ryanair flight Friday after the opening caused a sudden loss of cabin pressure shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki, witnesses and aviation sources said.
The Serbian man survived after his seat belt, his wife and nearby travelers kept him from being pulled farther outside the Boeing 737. Flight FR1879 returned safely to Thessaloniki International Airport, where emergency workers treated him. Investigators are examining why the window failed and whether debris from an aircraft engine struck it. Ryanair confirmed that a passenger window became dislodged but did not confirm the reported cause.
The flight left Thessaloniki early July 10 for Memmingen, a city in southern Germany, on a trip scheduled to last about two hours. Flight tracking data showed the plane climbing to about 16,000 feet before pilots stopped the ascent and turned back toward northern Greece.
The emergency began roughly 10 minutes after departure, according to accounts of the flight. A passenger told Greek media that many travelers had been sleeping when they heard a loud sound similar to a tire bursting.
“We immediately realized there had been a decompression,” she said.
Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as air rushed through the damaged window and loose items moved around the cabin. The witness said the man’s head and shoulders were outside the opening before other passengers helped pull him back into the plane.
The injured passenger had kept his seat belt fastened, a step that prevented him from being pulled completely through the opening, according to witnesses. His wife initially held his legs while other travelers moved toward the row and helped bring him back inside.
Medical representatives in Greece said the man suffered shock and friction burns caused by the force of the air and exposure to cold conditions outside the pressurized cabin. He was taken for hospital treatment after the landing.
Ryanair said one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground but released no details about his identity or condition. Videos recorded after the emergency showed oxygen masks hanging above rows of seats and extensive damage around a cabin window. Officials had not said Friday how many people were aboard or whether anyone else suffered an injury.
Ryanair said the aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. The airline arranged another plane, which departed Thessaloniki at 9:53 a.m. and carried the travelers to Memmingen about four hours later than originally scheduled.
The damaged jet was operated for Ryanair by Malta Air, a carrier within the Ryanair group. Flight records identified it as a Boeing 737-800, part of the 737 Next Generation family rather than the newer 737 Max line. Records indicated that the plane had been in commercial service since 2008.
Tracking information also showed that the same aircraft had returned to Thessaloniki shortly after departing for Sarajevo the previous evening. The reason for that earlier return remained unclear, and officials had not established whether it was connected to Friday’s window failure.
Several Greek reports said material from an engine may have struck the window, but that account remained under investigation. Two aviation industry sources familiar with the incident also said the passenger was partially pulled through the opening after an apparent engine-related failure.
Ryanair did not say whether a mechanical problem occurred or whether crews reported engine damage before landing. Investigators will need to inspect the window assembly, the aircraft’s exterior and both engines before determining where any debris originated.
They are also expected to review cockpit recordings, flight data, maintenance documents and physical pieces recovered from the aircraft. Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was communicating with the airline. The engine manufacturer, CFM International, had not publicly provided an explanation by Friday afternoon.
The emergency drew comparisons with Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, a 2018 accident involving another Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft. In that case, a fan blade failed in the left engine during a flight from New York to Dallas.
Debris struck and broke a cabin window, and passenger Jennifer Riordan was partially pulled through the opening. She died from her injuries despite efforts by other passengers to bring her back inside.
The National Transportation Safety Board found that metal fatigue caused the fan blade to break. U.S. regulators later required inspections of similar engine blades, and manufacturers developed changes intended to better contain debris during severe failures.
No evidence released Friday established that the Ryanair event had the same cause. Aviation investigators treat similarities between events as leads to examine, not proof that the underlying failures match.
The Irish Aviation Authority said it was aware of Friday’s emergency and would provide assistance requested by investigators in Greece and by Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate.
Greece is expected to have a central role because the aircraft departed from and returned to Thessaloniki, while Maltese authorities have jurisdiction connected to the operator and aircraft registration.
Investigators will document the damage before repairs or removal of major parts. They may also interview the pilots, cabin crew, injured traveler and passengers seated near the broken window.
Authorities had not announced when they would issue preliminary findings. Aviation investigations often begin with a brief factual report before specialists complete laboratory tests and detailed engineering reviews. Ryanair also had not said when the aircraft might return to service.
Passengers described confusion inside the cabin as the pressure changed and the oxygen masks appeared. One witness said a strong smell spread through the plane after the loud noise, leading some travelers to fear that an emergency door had opened.
She said people screamed as they tried to understand what had happened, but nearby passengers quickly focused on the man at the window. After the crew secured the cabin and the pilots began the return, travelers remained on oxygen while the aircraft descended toward Thessaloniki.
Passengers applauded after the jet reached the runway, according to local reports. Health worker representative Babis Papadopoulos described the event as nearly a tragedy and said the injured man was fortunate that his seat belt remained secured.
Authorities did not release the names of the passenger, his wife or the travelers who helped rescue him.
The aircraft remained out of passenger service Friday as investigators examined the damaged window and reports of possible engine debris. The next major update is expected from the Greek and Maltese aviation safety authorities after they complete their first inspection and confirm the formal scope of the investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.