Mystery surrounds shattered window on Ryanair Boeing as investigators examine what went wrong

 

Investigators are trying to determine what caused a window to shatter aboard a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Germany, leaving a passenger partially outside the aircraft and sparking dramatic rescue efforts inside the cabin.

The incident, which occurred just minutes after takeoff, quickly drew international attention after witnesses reported that a passenger’s head and shoulders had been pulled through the broken window following a sudden loss of cabin pressure.

 

According to initial reports, the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 experienced a problem with its right engine that was linked to the decompression of the cabin. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it had been informed of “an issue involving the right engine and depressurization,” while the investigation is being led by authorities in North Macedonia, where the incident took place.

Although Ryanair has not confirmed the cause of the shattered window, investigators are examining whether debris from the engine may have struck the aircraft, triggering the rapid decompression. Boeing, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are also participating in the investigation.

How the passenger survived

The aircraft, which entered service with Ryanair in 2008, returned safely to Thessaloniki’s Macedonia Airport. The 61-year-old Serbian passenger seated next to the window was taken to hospital with injuries to his neck and shoulder, as well as friction burns caused by the powerful airflow.

According to witness accounts, the man survived because he was wearing his seatbelt and because nearby passengers managed to pull him back into the cabin.

One passenger described the chaos that unfolded moments after the decompression.

“Most of us had fallen asleep. We suddenly heard a loud noise—like a tire bursting, but much louder,” she said.

Passengers quickly realized that the aircraft was losing pressure as it began descending. “There were screams, shouting and panic,” the witness added.

She said the passenger’s head, neck and shoulders were outside the aircraft before fellow travelers sitting nearby succeeded in pulling him back inside.

Previous Boeing incidents under scrutiny

Aviation analysts note that incidents of this kind are extremely rare, but they have revived concerns about the safety of Boeing 737 aircraft.

International media have drawn comparisons with the 2018 Southwest Airlines accident, in which engine debris shattered a window and led to a passenger fatality, as well as the Alaska Airlines incident in early 2024, when a section of the fuselage detached during flight.

Experts also stress that the incident highlights the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened throughout a flight, even when the seatbelt sign has been switched off.

Former pilot Sai Gilland explained that the first moments after a sudden decompression create a powerful suction force near the point of rupture, making seatbelts “a factor that can make all the difference.”