Wife of Ryanair Passenger Nearly Sucked Out of Dislodged Window Recalls Mid-Air Ordeal

"If We Die, We Die Together": Survivor Describes Terrifying Moments as Passengers Helped Save Her Husband                                                                                                             

                                                                                   

The wife of a Ryanair passenger who was partially pulled out of a dislodged aircraft window during a dramatic mid-air emergency has shared a harrowing account of the incident, describing the terrifying moments she fought to keep her husband alive.

The incident occurred on July 10 aboard a Ryanair-operated flight traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when a cabin window became dislodged shortly after takeoff, causing rapid decompression inside the aircraft. The passenger seated next to the damaged window, 61-year-old Ljubiša Karović, was partially sucked out of the aircraft before his wife and fellow passengers managed to pull him back inside.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Svetlana Grković said her immediate instinct was to grab her husband's legs as powerful air rushed through the opening.

"I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought, 'If we die, we die together.' It was horrible," she recalled in an interview with Serbian media.

According to Grković, the terrifying sequence began with a loud explosion that she believes was caused by debris from an engine striking the window. Within seconds, the cabin rapidly depressurized, oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, and passengers began screaming as the aircraft descended.

She said her husband remained secured by his seatbelt, preventing him from being completely ejected from the aircraft. Even so, much of his upper body was pulled outside the plane by the powerful airflow. Other passengers rushed to assist, helping Grković hold onto him until the aircraft safely returned to Thessaloniki for an emergency landing.

Karović suffered serious injuries, including trauma to his neck and arm, burns caused by the freezing airflow at altitude, and shock. He remains hospitalized in Greece, where doctors continue to monitor his condition. His wife said he remembers little of the incident due to the trauma he experienced.

Grković expressed deep gratitude to the passengers who came to their aid during the emergency, saying she hopes to one day personally thank the individuals who helped save her husband's life.

Ryanair confirmed that the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff after a passenger window became dislodged during the flight. The airline said the aircraft landed safely, passengers were returned to the terminal, and a replacement aircraft was arranged to transport travelers to their destination later that day. Ryanair has declined to comment further while investigations remain ongoing.

The incident has prompted multiple investigations involving aviation authorities. Officials from Greece, North Macedonia, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Boeing, and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are assisting in determining the cause of the window failure and whether mechanical issues contributed to the emergency.

Aviation experts describe such incidents as extremely rare, noting that modern commercial aircraft are designed with multiple safety systems to withstand cabin pressure changes. Investigators are expected to examine maintenance records, aircraft components, and flight data to establish exactly what caused the window to fail.

For Grković, however, the focus remains on her husband's recovery.

"It's important to me that he's alive," she said, adding that while the emotional scars of the ordeal may take time to heal, she remains thankful that quick action by fellow passengers and the flight crew prevented what could have become a far greater tragedy.