Wife helped save husband after plane window blew out on Ryanair flight

Svetlana Grković had to clutch her husband’s legs as a Ryanair cabin window blew out and his head and upper body were pulled outside the aircraft, turning a routine hop from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, into a midair rescue. The episode unfolded on Friday, July 10, 2026, shortly after takeoff, when the plane lost pressure and the crew turned back to Thessaloniki.

Grković, also known as Svetlana Maksimović, said nearby passengers helped her pull Ljubiša Karović back inside as the aircraft descended. She said Karović, a 61-year-old Serbian national, was outside the plane for about one and a half to two minutes and lost consciousness several times. Oxygen masks dropped into the cabin, passengers scrambled, and crew members told them to stay calm while the pilots carried out the emergency descent. Grković said the seatbelt likely saved his life.

Karović was taken to AHEPA University General Hospital in Thessaloniki after the landing. One passenger requested medical assistance on the ground and a replacement aircraft was arranged to continue the trip to Memmingen. The aircraft returned to Thessaloniki after a passenger window dislodged in flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 NG, and Boeing is assisting an investigation led by North Macedonia. Greek air accident investigators, North Macedonia aviation investigators, European Union Aviation Safety Agency officials and U.S. authorities are involved as questions grow over what caused the failure. Investigators are examining whether a piece of engine broke off and struck the window, while eyewitnesses heard a loud bang, like a tire bursting.

The case recalls the 2018 Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 disaster, when engine debris shattered a window and killed Jennifer Riordan.