Ryanair decompression incident prompts international safety inquiry
Ljubisa Karović remains hospitalised after being partially ejected from a cabin window, as the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority coordinates with global aviation bodies to determine the cause of the rapid decompression.
A serious aviation incident involving a Ryanair-operated flight has triggered a multi-agency investigation after a passenger was partially ejected from a cabin window during rapid decompression. Ljubisa Karović, 61, sustained significant injuries, including burns and shock, after being pulled partially outside the aircraft while his wife, Svetlana Grković, held his legs to prevent full ejection. The incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.
The aircraft, an 18-year-old Boeing 737-800, experienced a sudden loss of cabin pressure approximately 10 minutes after departure. Tracking data indicates the plane dropped 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) during the event. Grković told Serbian media outlet Nova that her husband was outside the aircraft for two minutes, with half his body exposed. She stated that she and two other passengers managed to pull him back inside after he lost consciousness three times.
Grković suggested the decompression was caused by a piece of the aircraft’s right engine breaking off and shattering the window. A technical adviser appointed by the family has echoed this assessment, though it remains unconfirmed by official investigators. Fellow passengers reported hearing a sound resembling an explosion and described extreme decompression that left many struggling to breathe. One passenger told Radio Thessaloniki that the injured man was bleeding and appeared to be dying from oxygen deprivation and shock.
Ryanair confirmed in a statement that the passenger window dislodged in flight and that the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki, landing safely. The airline noted that one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground. Karović remains in hospital in shock and has lost memory of the event. His hand was reported to be particularly badly injured.
The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is leading the inquiry, with assistance from international bodies including Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The involvement of these agencies is necessitated by the fact that the incident occurred in North Macedonian airspace and involved a US-built aircraft. Thessaloniki airport operator Fraport Greece confirmed the incident is under active investigation.
