Ryanair-Air Malta Window Blowout: What the Single Source Reports
7 reported1 unconfirmed
A passenger on a Ryanair-Air Malta flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, was partially pulled out of the plane after a window blew out mid-air. The incident occurred on a Boeing 737-800 when the right engine failed at about 16,000 feet, and debris from the engine is reported to have struck and shattered the window. The passenger, Ljubisa Karović, was kept inside by his wife and fellow passengers. The flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff, and authorities in North Macedonia reported the plane turned around due to a right engine issue and cabin decompression. Karović is being treated for injuries including bleeding from the nose and mouth, a badly damaged hand, and friction burns. Experts cited in the article note that such incidents are extremely rare but not unprecedented, with a similar fatal event occurring on a Southwest Airlines flight in 2018.
What’s reported
The incident occurred on a Ryanair-Air Malta Boeing 737-800 flight leaving Thessaloniki, Greece.
The window blew out after the right engine failed at about 16,000 feet, with passenger reports indicating debris from the engine broke the window.
Passenger Ljubisa Karović was partially pulled out of the plane; his wife and fellow passengers helped keep him inside.
The flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff; North Macedonian authorities said the plane turned around due to a right engine issue and cabin decompression.
Karović is being treated for injuries including bleeding from the nose and mouth, a badly damaged hand, and friction burns.
The article states the last known similar incident was in 2018 on a Southwest Airlines flight, where passenger Jennifer Riordan died.
Experts cited include Dr Jason Knight (University of Portsmouth) and Dr Simon Bennett (University of Leicester).
Open questions
The exact cause of the engine failure and the specific seat number of the shattered window have not been confirmed by investigators.
Key figures
Ljubisa Karović, passenger on the flight
Dr Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth
Dr Simon Bennett, pilot and director of the civil safety and security unit at University of Leicester
Jennifer Riordan, passenger who died in a 2018 Southwest Airlines incident
Sources: The Guardian
