Ryanair passenger who was nearly 'sucked out' of plane reveals what happened in moment window broke
The Ryanair passenger whose wife clung to him for dear life as he was almost dragged out of a broken plane window said he has hit ‘rock bottom’ after being left traumatised by the experience.
Ljubiša Karović', 61, was travelling on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air.
He had drifted off during the journey, only to be suddenly awoken by ‘a massive bang like a bomb’.
His wife Svetlana told Serbian-language outlet Nova that half of Ljubiša’s body ‘was sticking out of the plane’.
Advert
She said: “I immediately reacted and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together'. It was horrible."
Two people had to help her pull her husband back into the plane, and she said he lost consciousness several times.
It’s believed part of the plane’s engine smashed into the acrylic window.
At the time, Svetlana said Ljubiša was ‘not able to communicate’, but now he’s well enough to share his side of the story with Bild.
He said after the terrifying incident he has to wear a neck brace for six weeks. The right side of his body has been temporarily paralysed, while he’s also suffered injuries to his right ear and right eye, with burns on his back and his right hand.
After hearing the bang, Ljubiša said: “Only for one moment was I conscious and I cannot remember the rest.
“I had blood all over me, blood was dripping from my face and my hands.”
The incident has also left deep mental scars.
He continued: “As soon as I close my eyes, images appear of the nightmare I experienced.
“I am not even contemplating getting another flight. Every time I hear an aeorplane, I get stress and a fever.
“Mentally I have hit rock bottom. It has an effect on both my work and family. It is a complete upheaval in my life.”
In a separate interview with The Guardian, he said: "My head and neck still hurt but I am still alive. It could have been the seatbelt, the fact that I was still strapped in. But maybe it is fate. I believe in God and I thank him every day."
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary updated investors on the investigation into the incident during an earnings call yesterday (20 July), The Independent reports.
He said: "Initial indication would suggest it looks like a foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff at Thessaloniki, but we don't have, we can't say that definitively.”
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading an investigation into what happened.
In a statement shared with LADbible, Ryanair said: "A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight.
"The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki.
"In order to minimise any delay, a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen which departed Thessaloniki at 9:53 local this morning."
Topics: Ryanair, Travel, World News
Simon Fearn