Svetlana Grković described the terrifying moments she fought to save her husband, Ljubiša Karović, after a part of a Ryanair jet's engine broke away and smashed through a window at 20,000 feet. The incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany.
The Boeing 737-800 was forced to make an emergency landing back at its departure airport after the dramatic event. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang shortly after takeoff, which led to the window shattering and Mr. Karović, seated beside it, being partially sucked out of the aircraft.
Grković recounted how she immediately grabbed her husband's legs, thinking, "If we die, we die together." She held onto him for approximately five minutes until other passengers assisted in pulling him back into the cabin. Oxygen masks deployed during the chaotic ordeal.
Mr. Karović, from Serbia, sustained serious injuries, including friction burns and a badly injured hand. He is hospitalized and reportedly unable to speak due to his condition. His wife noted that he lost consciousness multiple times during the event and has fragmented memories of what transpired.
Witnesses described seeing Mr. Karović's head and shoulders outside the broken window. Some passengers expressed fears for their lives, stating, "We thought we were falling." The aircraft reportedly flew for about 30 minutes with the damaged window before returning to Thessaloniki. Flight data indicates the plane was airborne for one hour and 14 minutes.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the flight returned to Thessaloniki due to a dislodged passenger window. The airline arranged for a replacement aircraft to transport the remaining passengers to Memmingen. A pregnant woman on board was taken to the hospital as a precaution but has since been released.
Footage shared by a flight attendant appeared to show damage to the aircraft's engine, including a missing blade and a large hole in its casing. The incident has been described by one official as "almost a tragedy."