A Ryanair flight taking off from Thessaloniki to Memmingen experienced a sudden 9,000‑foot drop, a plunge that left a cabin wall ripped open and a passenger close to being ejected into the air.
The wife of the afflicted passenger recounted the frightening moment: “He was out for maybe two or three minutes,” she said before adding, “the lady sitting next to him and I tried to pull him back inside.”
Data from the aircraft’s flight recorders indicates the plane hovered in the air for roughly ten minutes before the abrupt descent, during which passengers reported hearing “some kind of explosion.”
A Greek hospital official confirmed treatment of a 61‑year‑old Serbian patient for friction burns sustained during the incident. Ryanair released a statement saying the flight “returned shortly after take‑off when a passenger window dislodged in flight.”
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the window failure and the rapid descent, with aviation safety analysts eyeing the incident as a case study for improving cabin integrity and emergency protocols.
