A Ryanair flight turned into a scene of mid-air terror on Friday morning when a cabin window dislodged shortly after takeoff, nearly sucking a passenger out of the aircraft.

The incident occurred on a flight operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany. Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang followed by the window breaking and oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling of the eighteen-year-old Boeing 737.

According to fellow travelers, the decompression created immediate chaos and screams inside the cabin. A Serbian passenger in his sixties was left hanging headfirst out of the broken window as far as his shoulders for several minutes. Passengers credited his fastened seatbelt and the quick actions of bystanders, who managed to pull him back inside, for saving his life. Travelers noted a strong smell in the cabin and initial confusion over whether an emergency door had been opened. Some passengers suspected that debris from the engine may have struck and shattered the window, though this detail has not been officially confirmed.

The aircraft returned safely to Thessaloniki shortly after the malfunction, where it landed normally. Passengers were returned to the terminal, and the man who was partially pulled out received medical assistance on the ground. A replacement aircraft was arranged to fly the remaining passengers to Germany later that day.

Aviation safety boards in Greece and Malta are launching an investigation into the equipment failure, with support from the Irish Aviation Authority.

The terrifying ordeal mirrors a tragic 2018 event in the United States, where a Southwest Airlines passenger died after engine debris shattered a window, causing her to be partially sucked out of the plane.