A Ryanair flight encountered a mid-air emergency when debris struck a window, causing injury to a passenger who was partially pulled towards the opening. The flight, traveling from Thessaloniki to Memmingen in Germany, abruptly returned to Greece due to the incident, believed to have originated from the aircraft’s engine.
The pilot detected a problem above North Macedonia and opted to head back to Thessaloniki. During the descent, a section of the damaged engine broke off, hitting a cabin window and resulting in minor injuries to a passenger.
Eyewitnesses reported that a window shattered, with videos circulating on social media showing the aftermath. Witnesses described how a man seated by the window was pulled towards the broken glass. The return journey following the incident lasted approximately 20 minutes after the decision to divert back to Thessaloniki.
The injured passenger, a 61-year-old man from Serbia, was promptly taken to a hospital in Thessaloniki by emergency services. He sustained a neck wound and bruising from the impact but remained conscious despite being in shock.
Ryanair issued a statement confirming the incident, stating that the flight returned to Thessaloniki after a passenger window dislodged mid-flight. The aircraft landed safely, and affected passengers were assisted upon arrival.
To minimize delays, a replacement aircraft was arranged to transport passengers to Memmingen, departing from Thessaloniki at 9:53 local time.