“If we die, we die together”: Wife of passenger pulled from plane recounts the incident

An emergency incident involving a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG aircraft in the skies over Greece caused serious panic among passengers. During the flight, one of the windows shattered, causing a loss of cabin pressure, and one passenger was partially sucked out by the airflow.

It is reported that the incident occurred on July 10 on a flight from Thessaloniki to the German city of Memmingen. About 10 minutes after takeoff, passengers heard a loud bang, and the aircraft began an emergency descent.

61-year-old Serbian citizen Ljubisa Karovic, who was sitting by the window, began to be pulled outward due to the sudden pressure change. His wife, Svetlana Grkovic, who was sitting behind him, grabbed his leg, while another passenger held onto his arm. Later, another man came to help, and together they managed to pull the victim back into the cabin. The fact that the man was wearing his seatbelt was a crucial factor in saving his life.

Svetlana Grkovic stated that her husband lost consciousness several times during the incident. Recalling those moments, she said: “If we die, we die together.” She noted that the victim was bleeding from his nose and mouth, but the flight attendants did not provide sufficient assistance. Even water had to be brought by other passengers.

Passengers tried to block the broken window with a suitcase, but the strong airflow sucked it out as well.

The plane soon returned to Thessaloniki airport and landed safely. Ljubisa Karovic was taken to the hospital and is still undergoing treatment. According to his wife, he suffered severe psychological trauma, sustained arm injuries, and cannot yet fully recall the events.

Preliminary assumptions suggest that the incident may have been caused by a malfunction in the plane's right engine. Some experts speculate that an engine part struck the window. However, this version has not yet been officially confirmed.

An international investigation into the incident has been launched. Experts from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Greece's HARSIA, and Boeing are participating in the probe.

Ryanair issued a brief statement confirming that the plane returned to Thessaloniki due to a window defect and landed safely. The company stated that the injured passenger received necessary medical attention.