On 10 July 2026, a Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen was just 10 minutes into its journey when a section of the right engine broke off, smashed a cabin window, and partially sucked a 61-year-old passenger out of the aircraft. His wife grabbed his legs and held on, thinking “If we die, we die together.” With the help of another passenger, she pulled him back inside after several minutes, but he had already lost consciousness three times and suffered serious burns and a hand injury. The plane rapidly descended 9,000ft, oxygen masks dropped, and the crew made an emergency landing back in Thessaloniki.
This is an example of a rapid decompression — a sudden loss of cabin pressure caused by a breach in the aircraft’s fuselage or window. It is extremely rare in modern aviation, but when it happens, the forces can be violent. At cruise altitude, the pressure inside the cabin is much higher than the thin air outside, so any hole will suck air — and anything loose — outwards. In this case, the engine debris created a hole large enough to pull the man head-first toward the window. His seatbelt kept him from being fully ejected, and quick action by other passengers brought him back.
“A Ryanair passenger was partially sucked out of a plane window after engine debris caused rapid decompression; we explain what happens, why it's rare, and safety lessons.”
Such events often stem from engine failure. Jet engines spin at thousands of revolutions per minute, and if a blade or other component breaks off, it can be thrown with immense force through the engine casing and into the fuselage. This is what investigators suspect happened on the Ryanair flight, though the official cause is still unconfirmed. Similar incidents include the 2018 Southwest Airlines flight where an engine fan blade fractured and caused a window to break, killing one passenger, and the 2024 Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 door-plug blowout (which also depressurised the cabin but did not pull anyone out).
For UK readers, Ryanair is one of the country’s most-used budget airlines, flying millions of passengers every year. While such dramatic failures make headlines, the overall safety record of commercial aviation is exceptional. Since 2000, there have been fewer than 10 fatal accidents caused by in-flight engine debris or decompression worldwide. Aircraft are designed with multiple layers of protection: engines are tested for blade containment, windows are reinforced, and cabin crew are trained to handle decompression emergencies. The seatbelt — which the injured passenger kept fastened — is a critical safety measure. Had he unbuckled, he would have been completely ejected.
Q: What is rapid decompression? Rapid decompression is a sudden drop in cabin pressure caused by a significant hole in the aircraft’s structure — often from a window failure or fuselage breach. It can cause unsecured objects and people to be sucked toward the hole, and passengers will hear a loud bang or rushing air as oxygen masks deploy.
Q: How common are engine failures that damage the cabin? Very rare. Modern jet engines are designed to contain most debris after a blade failure. The US National Transportation Safety Board reports only about one uncontained engine failure per year worldwide. Cases where debris is powerful enough to penetrate the fuselage and shatter a window are even rarer — this Ryanair incident is one of just a handful in the last decade.
Q: What should passengers do during a decompression? Follow crew instructions immediately: put on your own oxygen mask before helping others (you have only seconds before hypoxia sets in), fasten your seatbelt, and stay seated. Do not try to move around the cabin — items and even people can be pulled toward the breach. In this incident, the injured passenger’s seatbelt literally saved his life.
What happens next: Ryanair has confirmed the aircraft involved was a Boeing 737. Investigators from the Greek and German authorities will examine the engine and window to determine the exact sequence of failures. The airline says it is cooperating fully and has provided a replacement flight for other passengers. The injured man remains in hospital with serious injuries, including burns, and is unable to speak or fully recall the event. This story is a stark reminder of the importance of aviation safety regulations — and why keeping your seatbelt fastened at all times is non-negotiable.