A Ryanair window incident on a Friday morning flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen forced the plane back shortly after take-off. A passenger window dislodged in flight, and a 61-year-old Serbian man was treated for friction burns after the cabin lost pressure.
Tracking data showed the aircraft was airborne for about 10 minutes before it dropped 9,000ft. Ryanair said the aircraft landed normally in Thessaloniki and that one passenger received medical assistance on the ground.
Thessaloniki flight return
Ryanair said the plane turned back shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged in flight. The airline said a replacement aircraft was arranged several hours later to take passengers on to Memmingen.
The aircraft was operated by Malta Air, and it was believed to have been an 18 year-old-plane. Thessaloniki airport's operator, Fraport Greece, said it activated emergency response procedures after the forced return and is fully co-operating with the investigation.
Sofia and Christina
Christina told Radio Thessaloniki that she immediately realised there had been a decompression. She said the masks dropped, there was a strong smell, and the head and shoulders of one passenger were outside the window.
Sofia said the decompression was extreme. She said the injured man was bleeding and then lost consciousness several times, and that passengers had no idea what was going to happen when the oxygen masks dropped.
Investigation in Greece
Passengers told local media the man had been left hanging head first out of the window before others pulled him back inside. They also said the window was smashed by pieces of the jet's engine, but Ryanair did not comment on that claim.
Michalis Giannakos later said the 61-year-old Serbian man was being treated in hospital for friction burns and that he remained conscious. The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is investigating the incident, and the Irish Aviation Authority said it was aware of it and would assist investigators.
What caused the window to dislodge in flight now sits at the centre of the case. The return to Thessaloniki has already been handled; the remaining issue is why a cabin window failed in the air and whether the reported engine debris played any part.
