Ryanair 737 Window Blew Out at 16,000 Feet After Engine Failure, Nearly Pulling Out Passenger
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 16
Ryanair 737 Window Blew Out at 16,000 Feet After Engine Failure, Nearly Pulling Out Passenger
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 16
Summary
Passenger reports indicate the Boeing 737-800’s right engine failed at about 16,000 feet, sending debris into a cabin window that blew out over North Macedonia and triggered decompression.
Ljubisa Karović was pulled back inside by his wife and other passengers after his head and shoulders were forced through the opening; experts said his seatbelt and the brief pressure equalization likely prevented a fatal ejection.
Ryanair said the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window dislodged in flight, while North Macedonian authorities cited a right-engine issue and cabin decompression.
Karović remains in hospital with trauma, nose and mouth bleeding, a badly damaged hand and friction burns, underscoring experts’ warning that physical and psychological injuries can persist even when passengers survive.
Experts called such events extremely rare but not unprecedented, pointing to the fatal 2018 Southwest 737 window blowout and advising passengers to keep seatbelts fastened as investigators examine the Malta Air incident.