Wife Rescues Husband From Mid‑Air Decompression on Ryanair Flight

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:55:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A passenger was nearly sucked out of a Ryanair 737 when a window blew open, and his wife’s quick action saved his life.

On a Friday flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, a Ryanair 737 experienced a sudden cabin decompression that left a passenger’s head and shoulders outside the cockpit. His wife held his legs and, with help from other passengers, pulled him back inside while he lost consciousness several times. The crash appears to have been caused by an engine failure that broke a window. Ryanair said the aircraft landed safely after the emergency, and investigations are underway with the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority, the FAA and EASA.

Wife’s prompt response prevented a tragedy on a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday. A sudden decompression blew a window open, exposing the passenger’s head and shoulders to air pressure and almost pulling the man out of the cabin. His wife, Svetlana Grković, grabbed his legs and, with the assistance of two other passengers, hauled him back inside while he blacked out three times.

Grković told Serbian news outlet Nova that her husband was "outside up to his chest" for about two minutes before anyone could react. She recalled thinking, "If we die, we die together," as she fought to keep him in place. The man, 61, sustained serious injuries including burns and a badly broken hand, and is currently in hospital.

Other on‑board passengers described a loud, explosive sound followed by screams. Several witnesses reported the aircraft plummeting 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) before stabilising the next moment. The aircraft was a 737‑800 operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, according to the report.

Investigators suspect the incident began with the right‑hand engine failure, which allegedly shattered a window and caused the rapid loss of cabin pressure. A technical adviser for the family noted that the exact cause has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.

In a statement, Ryanair confirmed the flight returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take‑off. The airline said the aircraft landed safely, that passengers returned to the terminal, and that one passenger received medical assistance on the ground. No casualties were reported apart from injuries sustained during the puncture.

The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is leading the inquiry into the incident. Assistance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Boeing is also underway, given that the crash occurred over North Macedonian airspace.

Authorities are examining cockpit footage, flight data records, and debris reports to determine whether an engine malfunction launched the debris that shattered the window. The findings will clarify whether any safety protocols were breached or if mechanical failure led this unprecedented event.

Additional reporting by Nikos Papanikolaou.