New footage has emerged from inside a Ryanair plane cabin showing the moments after a window shattered mid-flight, nearly sucking a passenger out. Ljubisa Karovic, 61, was seated in 11F on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when his right shoulder, arm, and head were pulled towards the opening about 20 minutes after takeoff on July 10.
It is understood that broken engine parts are believed to have struck the cabin window while the aircraft was at 16,000 feet, causing a sudden decompression that pulled Mr. Karovic through the hole. His wife reportedly clung to him to prevent him from being fully ejected.
Footage captured by a passenger shows other travelers wearing oxygen masks as shattered glass circulated in the cabin and wind rushed in. The video also depicts passengers attempting to hold Mr. Karovic in place. These efforts are believed to have lasted up to two minutes until he was pulled back inside the aircraft.
Eleni Kyranou, 33, one of the passengers who assisted, told 60 Minutes Australia that the experience still haunts her. "I did what I could to help a person, to save a life," she said, adding, "But it still haunts me, the images and the sound has stayed with me."
Another passenger, Sofia Lavou, filmed the incident, stating she hoped the footage would offer closure if the plane had crashed. "If I'm going down, at least I will have some proof of what happened," Ms. Lavou said.
Mr. Karovic, who spent six days in the hospital, described hearing a "deafening explosion" shortly after falling asleep on the flight. Witnesses described him as dangling "like Superman flying through the air," with his face contorted by the high-velocity wind.
He sustained injuries to his neck and shoulders, requiring him to wear a neck brace for six weeks, and doctors have warned of potential surgery. He also suffered burns to his face, right hand, and arm.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the U.S. is leading the investigation into the incident, a standard procedure for aircraft assembled in America. A preliminary report from the NTSB indicated that a fan blade broke, though the specific cause remains undetermined. Maintenance records for the engine's blades showed no damage during inspections in May 2026 and November 2025. However, flight crews had reported four suspected bird strikes on the same engine over the preceding year, with bird remains found after two of those incidents.
Ryanair has stated it will not comment further until the NTSB investigation is complete.