New details on passenger partially sucked out of plane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsWcO2Bz47E

New information has emerged about the frightening in-flight emergency in which a passenger was partially pulled out of an aircraft after a cabin window failed shortly after takeoff.

What investigators know so far

According to aviation officials:

• The incident occurred on a Ryanair-operated Boeing 737-800 flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany.

• Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft suffered an uncontained right-engine failure, and debris is believed to have struck the fuselage, causing a passenger window to dislodge and the cabin to rapidly depressurize.

• Oxygen masks deployed, and the crew declared an emergency before safely returning to Thessaloniki.

Passenger pulled back inside

Officials say the 61-year-old passenger seated next to the damaged window was partially pulled through the opening.

Witnesses reported that:

• Nearby passengers—and according to one treating physician, the man's wife—helped hold onto him and pull him back into the cabin.

• He suffered neck and shoulder injuries along with friction burns but survived the ordeal and was hospitalized.

Investigation continues

The investigation is being led under international aviation rules because the incident occurred over North Macedonia's airspace, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing. Investigators are working to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the engine failure and window damage.

Bottom line

Investigators now believe an engine failure likely caused debris to strike the aircraft, leading to the window failure and rapid decompression. Thanks to the flight crew's response and the actions of fellow passengers, the injured man was pulled back inside, and the aircraft landed safely.