SerpApi.Org
U.S. aviation safety investigators are now leading the investigation into a dramatic incident aboard a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany, where a window broke minutes after takeoff, and a man was partly sucked out before being pulled back inside by fellow travelers. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) took charge of the probe after determining the July 10 event occurred in Greek airspace, not above the Republic of North Macedonia as initially thought, according to a statement on Thursday.
International aviation rules allowed the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority in Greece to hand over the case to the NTSB, which will lead the investigation with Greek authorities participating. The flight, operated by Malta Air—a Ryanair subsidiary—had just departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, en route to Memmingen, near Munich, Germany, when the incident happened.
Passengers described a loud bang right before oxygen masks dropped and the plane started to lose altitude. One passenger, identified as Christina, told Greek media that a man sitting near the window was pulled halfway out—head, neck, and shoulders—until others grabbed him and pulled him back in. According to a Greek hospital official, the 61-year-old man suffered neck and shoulder injuries as well as friction burns. It was not clear as of Thursday if he remained hospitalized.
The NTSB said it was notified the flight turned back due to both a “right engine issue and cabin decompression.” Ryanair has not commented publicly on the reported engine issue, only confirming the plane returned to Thessaloniki because a window became dislodged.
Flight data indicated the Boeing 737-800, delivered new to Ryanair in 2008, was ascending past 15,000 feet about six minutes after takeoff before descending rapidly to roughly 6,000 feet. The aircraft circled at lower altitude for about half an hour to burn fuel before landing back in Thessaloniki about an hour after departure. One passenger received medical treatment after landing, and a replacement plane completed the journey to Germany.
The NTSB, with Greek cooperation, will continue to investigate the causes behind the window failure and the plane’s response. No timeline has been set for when findings will be released.
