The authorities of North Macedonia will assume the investigation of the incident registered on a Ryanair flight between Thessaloniki (Greece) and Memmingen (Germany), after a window broke in mid-flight and a passenger was partially sucked outwards.
The investigation will be carried out in accordance with the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which establish that the country over whose airspace the incident occurs must lead the investigation. Macedonia will have the collaboration of the authorities of the United States, as the aircraft involved is a Boeing 737-800 manufactured in that country.
The incident occurred during the climb phase
The plane had taken off from Thessaloniki airport around 06:00 hours bound for the German city of Memmingen.
According to initial information, when the aircraft was flying over North Macedonia, the right engine suffered a failure and several fragments reportedly impacted the fuselage, causing a window to break and a sudden decompression in the cabin.
The seatbelt prevented a tragedy
Witnesses recounted moments of great tension after the window broke.
The passenger occupying the seat next to it, identified by several regional media as a Serbian citizen, had part of his body outside the plane. His seatbelt, along with the intervention of his wife and other passengers, prevented him from being ejected.
The woman explained to a Greek television channel that the window "suddenly exploded" when they had been flying for between 30 and 40 minutes.
The plane returned to Thessaloniki
The crew decided to return to the origin airport and managed to land without incident approximately one hour after takeoff.
The affected passenger was taken to a hospital with injuries caused by glass fragments and friction, as well as being in a state of severe shock. Three other travelers also received medical assistance.
Ryanair confirmed the plane's return and the attention provided to the passengers, although it did not initially offer details about the causes of the event.
The investigation will analyze the origin of the breakage
The authorities will have to determine if the window breakage was a direct consequence of the engine failure and the impact of its fragments against the fuselage, a hypothesis pointed out by several experts consulted by Greek media.
The incident is reminiscent of the accident that occurred in 2018 on a Southwest Airlines flight in the United States, when an engine explosion broke a window and caused the death of a passenger after being partially sucked outside.