A dramatic incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when a passenger window dislodged, partially sucking a man out of the plane. Fellow passengers quickly pulled the man back to safety.
Incident Details
The incident happened on a morning flight operated by Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair. The plane returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff due to the incident. The 61-year-old passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries, as well as friction burns.
Passengers reported hearing a loud bang and seeing oxygen masks drop down. The plane began to lose altitude, and some passengers panicked. One passenger, identified as Christina, described the scene, saying that the man’s head, neck, and shoulders were pulled out of the window before he was pulled back in.
Investigation
The cause of the window dislodging is currently under investigation. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified and is standing by to assist. The investigation will be led by the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Committee of the Republic of North Macedonia.
An aviation expert, Shye Gilad, emphasized the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened while seated, as a rapid decompression can create a brief but powerful suction effect near a breach in the cabin.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
