Ryanair passenger partially sucked out of window on flight from Greece

A passenger was partially sucked through a dislodged window on a Ryanair flight shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki in Greece today, two airport sources say, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.

The plane was scheduled to fly from Thessaloniki to Memmingen airport in Germany but returned to Thessaloniki “when a passenger window dislodged inflight,” Ryanair says in a statement. It is unclear what led to the broken window.

The airline says one person received medical assistance, but did not elaborate on the cause.

The US Federal Aviation Administration confirms the plane was a Boeing 737 NG. Boeing did not immediately comment.

A similar incident occurred in 2018 in a Boeing 737 NG and raises questions about whether it could be related.

Local media in Greece report that a piece of the engine broke off and smashed a window early in the flight, causing the cabin to decompress and sucking one passenger partially out of the window. The two airport sources with knowledge of the incident relay the same details to Reuters.

The same plane had diverted back to Thessaloniki on a flight to Sarajevo on Thursday evening, also shortly after takeoff, according to the data and a source, although it is unclear why.

The FAA confirms that a window broke on the flight, and says it is ready to support the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and NTSB in the investigation.

Ryanair does not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on details of the incident, as well as for confirmation on the make of the plane and the engine.

“The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal,” Ryanair says in its statement.

Unverified videos posted on social media from the inside of the plane show a broken window and oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.