THESSALONIKI, Greece — A holiday flight turned into a terrifying ordeal on Friday, July 10 2026 after a mid-air engine failure sent debris smashing into a cabin window, nearly sucking a passenger out of the aircraft.
Ryanair flight FR1879, operated by the Boeing 737-800 (registration 9H-QEU), was en route from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when a portion of the plane’s engine reportedly detached. Pieces of the damaged engine struck the fuselage, shattering a cabin window and causing an immediate, violent decompression.
Oxygen masks were deployed as a precaution, causing panic among passengers.
A Near-Tragedy in the Skies
According to local media and emergency officials, the sudden drop in cabin pressure nearly pulled a 61-year-old Serbian passenger out of the aircraft.
Michalis Giannakos, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN), confirmed the severity of the incident, stating that a major tragedy was narrowly avoided.
“A window was broken, and the body of a passenger was partially pulled out into the air,” Giannakos reported. “He was desperately restrained by his wife.”
Thanks to his wife’s quick reflexes and the assistance of cabin crew, the man was pulled back fully into the cabin and secured.
Emergency Landing and Injuries
The flight crew immediately declared an emergency and initiated a rapid descent from 16,000 feet, successfully returning the Boeing 737 to Thessaloniki international airport without further incident.
Upon landing, the 61-year-old passenger was rushed to the AHEPA University Hospital in Thessaloniki. Medical officials confirmed he is being treated for severe friction burns sustained during the harrowing ordeal. He is currently scheduled to undergo a CT scan to determine if he suffered any bone fractures or internal injuries. No other serious injuries have been reported among the remaining passengers and crew.
Investigation Underway
Images from the ground in Greece show visible damage to the aircraft’s engine cowling and the shattered cabin window. Aviation authorities have launched a full investigation into what caused the engine component to detach mid-flight.
Ryanair has not yet released an official statement regarding the mechanical failure or the condition of the passengers, but standard protocols for a mid-air decompression and engine emergency are being reviewed by safety investigators.
