A recent incident involving a Ryanair flight highlighted the extreme dangers of explosive decompression at altitude, where a passenger was partially sucked out of a window. Dr. David Carey, a commercial pilot and specialist in aviation medicine, detailed the potential physiological effects and survival factors in such a rare event.
The Ordeal
On July 10, aboard Ryanair flight FR1879 from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Germany, passenger Ljubisa Karovic, 61, experienced a catastrophic window failure shortly after takeoff. Despite being strapped in, his head and shoulders were pulled through the shattered window at approximately 20,000 feet. His wife, Svetlana Grkovic, managed to hold onto his legs, preventing him from being fully ejected for what was reported to be up to two minutes. Karovic fainted multiple times during the ordeal and was eventually pulled back into the cabin by his wife and other passengers. The plane made an emergency landing back in Thessaloniki.
Karovic sustained severe injuries, including friction burns and a hand injury, and was hospitalized. His wife described his face as deformed with bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Physiological Threats
Dr. Carey identified the primary life-threatening risk in such a scenario as hypoxia, a condition where the body's organs, particularly the brain and heart, are deprived of oxygen due to the significant drop in cabin pressure. At 20,000 feet, the air pressure is substantially lower, making it difficult for the body to utilize the available oxygen, even though the percentage of oxygen in the air remains constant.
Oxygen masks are designed to deliver a higher concentration of oxygen to compensate for reduced pressure. In Karovic's case, his exposure to the outside air likely rendered his mask inaccessible. Symptoms of hypoxia include breathlessness, confusion, fatigue, and eventual loss of consciousness. Individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions are at a higher risk of severe complications, such as stroke or heart attack, from hypoxia.
Rapid cabin decompression itself can cause barotrauma, affecting the inner ears and sinuses. This can lead to extreme pain, symptoms resembling a severe head cold, and potentially ruptured eardrums. While blood emerging from the ears, nose, or mouth might appear alarming, Dr. Carey noted that these injuries can heal.
Survival Factors
Karovic's survival is attributed to two key factors. Firstly, the incident occurred at 20,000 feet, an altitude where hypoxia is less immediately fatal than at higher cruising altitudes (around 38,000 feet), where unconsciousness could occur within seconds without oxygen. Secondly, the pilot's immediate decision to descend to 9,000 feet significantly increased the amount of available oxygen for Karovic and any other passengers without functioning oxygen masks. This rapid descent was crucial in mitigating the effects of hypoxia.
While the high-speed wind (approximately 590 mph) could cause friction burns and lacerations, these are secondary to the immediate threat of oxygen deprivation. Temperature was considered a less significant factor due to the summer season and the plane's location over Greece.
Dr. Carey emphasized that such events are extremely rare, and commercial air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation. He expressed optimism for Karovic's potential for a full recovery.
