Play store
Svetlana Grković Maksimović saved her husband, Ljubiša Karović, after he was nearly sucked out of a Ryanair-operated Boeing 737 when a cabin window shattered during a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany.
Speaking to BBC Serbian, Maksimović said her husband’s head and right shoulder were outside the aircraft before she and two fellow passengers pulled him back inside after a desperate two-minute struggle.
The 61-year-old suffered serious injuries and psychological trauma but survived. He remains hospitalised.
Passengers reported hearing a loud bang before the cabin rapidly depressurised. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft descended about 9,000 feet roughly 10 minutes after take-off before safely returning to Thessaloniki.
Ryanair said the aircraft landed safely and one passenger received medical treatment.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the incident. Local media reported that the 18-year-old Boeing 737-800, operated by Malta Air, is being investigated by Greek authorities with assistance from Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).