Passenger Sabrina D. described the horrifying situation on Flight FR 1879, when an aircraft window shattered and a passenger from Serbia was partially pulled outside.
“I thought it was the end,” said Sabrina D. (37) from Augsburg. She was a passenger on Flight FR 1879, which turned into a real nightmare. On Friday morning, the Ryanair low-cost airline’s Boeing 737-800 was scheduled to fly from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen in Bavaria. However, shortly after takeoff, one of the aircraft’s windows shattered, and a 61-year-old man from Serbia was pulled out through the window up to his shoulders. His life was reportedly saved by his wife.
“We heard a loud bang,” said Sabrina D., who was seated four rows behind the shattered window. As she later learned from another passenger, parts of the right engine had allegedly broken off and struck the window.
BREAKING: Ryanair passenger reportedly saved from being sucked out the cabin after window fails during a flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 10, 2026
According to local media Ryanair flight FR1879, a Boeing 737-8AS, returned safely to Greece on Friday after part of a damaged engine… pic.twitter.com/YPgRodjPFp
“The man’s head was pulled outside the aircraft, and people rushed to help him,” said Sabrina D., who was returning home from Greece with her mother, Rosi (66).
Passenger from Serbia suffered a head laceration and lost consciousness
The aircraft took off from Thessaloniki at exactly 5:55 a.m. local Greek time on Friday. The incident occurred about half an hour after takeoff.
“It was a shock for everyone. The man suffered a cut to his head and lost consciousness,” the passenger said.
The pilot repeatedly announced “Emergency” over the intercom. After that, all passengers on board had to put on their oxygen masks.
Responding to an inquiry, Ryanair confirmed that a window detached from the aircraft shortly after takeoff during the flight to Memmingen. The airline did not comment on claims that parts of the engine had broken off.
Following the incident, the pilot aborted the flight and returned to Thessaloniki. According to flight data, the aircraft landed back in Greece one hour and 14 minutes after takeoff.
“To us, it felt like an eternity,” Sabrina D. told the German newspaper Bild. It was extremely noisy inside the aircraft because of the open window.
“There was a constant roaring sound. We were terrified because we couldn’t understand what was happening.”
Pilot cried after the flight from hell
After landing, shortly after 7 a.m. local Greek time, the woman from Augsburg says she hugged her mother and they both burst into tears.
“We were in shock. We felt a little dizzy, but fortunately we were unharmed.”
According to what another passenger told her, even the pilot was crying on the tarmac after landing.
“That’s when we realized the situation had probably been very serious.”
An interesting detail is that passengers remained seated in the row where the window had shattered even after the incident.
“The man who was nearly pulled out through the window later sat in the aisle seat, and the middle seat was still occupied,” the passenger said.
The Serbian man injured in the incident was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed.
“We were taken by bus to the departures hall. There we had to wait for an hour,” Sabrina D. said.
According to Ryanair, a replacement aircraft departed for Memmingen at around 10 a.m. and arrived safely at its destination.
Sabrina D. and her mother, however, decided to remain in Greece.
“We didn’t want to get back on a plane right away. First we’re going to rest and recover.”
They plan to return to Bavaria on Sunday.
Source: Kurir/Telegraf Foto: Printscreen X
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