Frankfurt (Germany), 10 July (LaPresse) – Moments of great fear on a Ryanair flight that had taken off from Thessaloniki bound for Munich, which was forced to return shortly after take-off following a serious technical fault. According to initial reports from the Greek media and passenger accounts, an engine failure caused fragments to break off, shattering a cabin window and leading to rapid depressurisation. The passenger seated next to the damaged window, a 61-year-old Serbian national, was partially sucked out of the aircraft by the force of the airflow. According to witnesses, his wife and other passengers managed to hold him back and pull him back inside the aircraft. The oxygen masks deployed automatically as the aircraft initiated the emergency procedure. The captain immediately aborted the flight and returned to Thessaloniki’s ‘Macedonia’ Airport, where the aircraft landed safely around twenty minutes after the incident and was moved to an area designated for technical checks. Four people were taken to hospital: three were discharged after precautionary checks, whilst the Serbian passenger remained in hospital with minor abrasions and in a state of shock, though his condition is not believed to be life-threatening. The passengers subsequently travelled to Munich on a replacement flight. At present, neither Ryanair nor the relevant authorities have issued an official statement regarding the incident. According to the Greek public broadcaster ERT, investigations have been launched to determine the causes of the incident.
Greece: scare on flight to Munich – window shatters, passenger rescued
Frankfurt (Germany), 10 July (LaPresse) – Moments of great fear on a Ryanair flight that had taken off from Thessaloniki bound for Munich, which was forced to return shortly after take-off following a serious technical fault. According to initial reports from the Greek media and passenger accounts, an engine failure caused fragments to break off, shattering a cabin window and leading to rapid depressurisation. The passenger seated next to the damaged window, a 61-year-old Serbian national, was partially sucked out of the aircraft by the force of the airflow. According to witnesses, his wife and other passengers managed to hold him back and pull him back inside the aircraft. The oxygen masks deployed automatically as the aircraft initiated the emergency procedure. The captain immediately aborted the flight and returned to Thessaloniki’s ‘Macedonia’ Airport, where the aircraft landed safely around twenty minutes after the incident and was moved to an area designated for technical checks. Four people were taken to hospital: three were discharged after precautionary checks, whilst the Serbian passenger remained in hospital with minor abrasions and in a state of shock, though his condition is not believed to be life-threatening. The passengers subsequently travelled to Munich on a replacement flight. At present, neither Ryanair nor the relevant authorities have issued an official statement regarding the incident. According to the Greek public broadcaster ERT, investigations have been launched to determine the causes of the incident.
