Terrifying Mid-Air Incident
A woman described the harrowing moment when she saved her husband from being nearly pulled through a dislodged airplane window during a Ryanair flight. Svetlana Grković and her husband, Ljubisa Karović, were flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when the incident occurred.
Passenger's Quick Actions
Grković recounted the ordeal to Greek public broadcaster ERT, explaining that her husband was hanging outside the plane up to his chest for about two minutes. "I immediately reacted and grabbed his legs," she shared with the Serbian outlet Nova. "I thought: 'If we die, we die together.'" With the assistance of two other passengers, she successfully pulled her husband back inside the cabin.
Possible Cause of the Incident
The incident seems to have been triggered by a malfunction in the aircraft's right engine, which possibly led to debris striking and shattering the cabin window, causing rapid decompression. However, this theory has not been officially confirmed by investigators.
Karović, who reportedly kept his seatbelt fastened, suffered serious injuries and lost consciousness multiple times during the incident. Grković mentioned that her 61-year-old husband is in shock and has significant injuries, including a badly hurt hand and burns.
Flight Details and Aftermath
Tracking data revealed that the Ryanair flight was in the air for about 10 minutes before it abruptly descended by 9,000 feet (2,700 meters). Ryanair issued a statement confirming that the flight returned shortly after take-off due to a dislodged passenger window. The aircraft managed to land safely, and passengers returned to the terminal.
A fellow passenger, Christina, told Radio Thessaloniki, "We immediately realized there had been a decompression. There were screams... for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door." Another passenger, Sofia, described the experience as it felt like they couldn't breathe due to extreme decompression.
Ongoing Investigation
The flight was operated by Ryanair's subsidiary Malta Air, using an 18-year-old Boeing 737-800. The incident, which occurred in North Macedonian airspace, is currently under investigation by several international aviation authorities, including the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority, Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
As the investigation continues, Karović remains hospitalized, with his condition being closely monitored.
Source: Original Article
