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Ryanair 737-800 window dislodges inflight, flight returns to Thessaloniki

Ryanair said the jet returned shortly after takeoff because a passenger window dislodged inflight, with the incident occurring over North Macedonia amid a right engine issue and cabin decompression.

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A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 flight returning to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff followed a passenger window dislodging inflight, according to the airline and authorities cited by the Guardian Business. A passenger, Ljubisa Karović, said the blast of air pulled his head and shoulders toward the open area, while his wife and other passengers helped keep him inside.

The Guardian Business reported that early reports suggest parts of a damaged engine broke the window. Investigators have not confirmed the cause, but passenger accounts described the window breaking after debris was struck following a failure of the right engine at about 16,000 ft.

Authorities in North Macedonia said the aircraft turned around due to a right engine issue and cabin decompression, the Guardian Business added. The report also cited fluid mechanics guidance that the strongest suction is sudden and ends once cabin and outside pressure equalize.

The outlet said such events are extremely rare, though not unprecedented, pointing to a 2018 Southwest Airlines incident in which a passenger was partially sucked out of a blown-out window and died. The Guardian Business noted passengers described Karović as having his seatbelt on, which they said would have helped.

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