Wife Recounts Terrifying Moment Husband Was Nearly Pulled From Ryanair Window

A Near-Fatal Encounter Mid-Air

If we die we die together – Svetlana Grković has shared her harrowing experience after her husband Ljubisa Karović was almost dragged completely out of a Ryanair aircraft window during a flight from Greece to Germany. The 61-year-old Serbian man found himself in a life-threatening situation when part of the plane’s structure appeared to fail, leaving him suspended with his head and upper body outside the cabin. Grković, who was seated beside her husband, described how she instinctively reached out and held onto his legs to prevent him from being pulled further. “I immediately reacted and grabbed his legs,” she explained. “I thought: ‘If we die, we die together,'” Grković told Serbian outlet Nova. The couple had been traveling from Thessaloniki to Memmingen after enjoying a holiday in Greece. According to Grković, her husband’s right shoulder and head were positioned outside the aircraft at one point during the terrifying incident.

The Rescue and Immediate Aftermath

With assistance from two fellow passengers, Grković managed to pull her husband back into his seat after nearly two minutes of struggle. She noted that Karović lost consciousness on three separate occasions during the ordeal. “We pulled him back together,” Grković told BBC Serbia. “His entire face was deformed and blood was pouring from his nose and mouth.” Passengers reported that Karović had kept his seatbelt fastened throughout, which helped others maintain their grip on him while his head and shoulders were exposed to the outside air.

What Caused the Incident?

Speaking to Greek public broadcaster ERT, Grković described how it appeared that a section of the aircraft’s engine had detached, striking the window beside her husband and triggering rapid decompression within the cabin. Several other travelers also mentioned hearing what sounded like an explosion. A technical adviser engaged by the family has suggested that the incident originated with a malfunction in the aircraft’s right engine. This failure allegedly caused debris to hit and break the cabin window, leading to the sudden drop in pressure. However, this theory has yet to be verified by official investigators. Tracking data indicates that the Ryanair flight remained airborne for approximately 10 minutes before suddenly descending 9,000 feet (2,700 meters).

Medical Status and Ongoing Investigation

Grković described her husband as “seriously injured and in shock.” She emphasized that his survival was the most important outcome. “It’s important to me that he’s alive… his hand is particularly badly injured, and he’s got burns,” she said. “He’s not able to communicate, he doesn’t remember the whole event.” The aircraft, believed to be an 18-year-old Boeing 737-800, was operated by Malta Air, which is a subsidiary of Ryanair. Fraport Greece, the operator of Thessaloniki airport, confirmed that the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is currently examining the incident. Because the aircraft was manufactured in the United States and the incident took place within North Macedonian airspace, several international aviation bodies are contributing to the investigation. These include the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing itself.

Lasting Psychological Effects

Grković revealed that she continues to struggle with the memory of the event. “I am constantly doing something to take me mind of what happened, but those images just won’t leave,” she told ERT. She recounted a recent experience that highlighted her ongoing trauma: “Yesterday I got into an elevator, and I suddenly felt a terrible sense of suffocation.” The psychological toll extends beyond just her husband. “Whenever he hears about aeroplanes he starts shaking,” Grković added. “I am also in a very bad psychological state… I feared for our lives. I was afraid the plane was going to crash.” When asked whether they would ever fly again, she responded simply: “Now the question is whether we will ever get on a plane again.”

Passenger Accounts and Airline Response

Ryanair issued a statement confirming that the Friday morning service from Thessaloniki to Memmingen returned “shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged in flight.” The airline noted that the aircraft landed without incident and passengers made their way back to the terminal. “One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki,” the Irish budget carrier explained. “We immediately realised there had been a decompression.” Christina, a fellow traveler, shared her perspective with Radio Thessaloniki: “There were screams… for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door.” Another passenger named Sofia also spoke to the same station: “We thought the plane was going down. The decompression was extreme. It felt like we couldn’t breathe. The man who was injured was bleeding and then lost consciousness several times, most likely because of the lack of oxygen and the shock.” Karović remains hospitalized according to local reports, while investigators continue their work to determine the exact cause of this dramatic mid-air incident. Additional reporting by Nikos Papanikolaou.