A 61-year-old Serbian man was partially sucked out of a Ryanair aircraft after a cabin window detached during a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, on Friday, July 10, 2026. His wife clung to his legs for approximately five minutes while fellow passengers helped drag him back inside the plane, according to witnesses and officials.
Incident details and passenger accounts
The incident occurred on Ryanair Flight FR1879, a Boeing 737-8AS (Next Generation), shortly after takeoff over North Macedonia. A fellow passenger told Radio Thessaloniki that most passengers were asleep when a loud noise like a tire bursting was heard. Oxygen masks deployed, and a strong smell filled the cabin. The passenger initially thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door. She then saw the man in distress: “The head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window. Fortunately, he hadn’t taken off his seatbelt.”
Local media reported that the man’s wife held his legs for about five minutes until other passengers managed to pull him back into the cabin. The man was hospitalized with friction burns and a neck injury but was reported in good condition. A pregnant woman on the flight was also taken to hospital but has since been released, according to local media.
Aircraft and airline response
The aircraft involved was an 18-year-old Boeing 737-800, MSN 36569, built in Renton and delivered to Ryanair in March 2008, registered as EI-DYF. It is not a Boeing 737 MAX. The flight returned safely to Thessaloniki after part of a damaged engine reportedly detached and struck a cabin window, causing the window to dislodge.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the incident: “A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight. The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki.” A replacement aircraft was arranged to take remaining passengers to Memmingen.
The man sustained abrasions and burns from the impact, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The incident is under investigation.
