Wife Saves Husband Hanging Out of Plane Window After It Breaks Midair

A passenger on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany was partially thrown out of the aircraft after a window panel broke in midair. His wife, who was sitting beside him, immediately grabbed hold of him and managed to save his life. The woman said that while holding onto her husband’s legs, one thought crossed her mind: “If we have to die, we will die together.”

Speaking to Serbian media outlet Nova, Svetlana Grokovic said her husband, Ljubisa Karovic, was pulled out headfirst after the acrylic section of the window broke following an engine failure. At the time, about half of his body was hanging outside the aircraft.

“I immediately grabbed both of his legs. For nearly two minutes, the upper part of his body was outside the plane,” Svetlana said. Later, with the help of two other passengers, she managed to pull her unconscious husband back inside the aircraft.

The incident occurred last Friday on a Malta Air-operated Ryanair flight traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft suddenly descended nearly 9,000 feet. When cabin pressure dropped, oxygen masks were automatically deployed, and many passengers moved away from their seats in panic.

Fellow passengers said the 61-year-old Karovic did not fall completely out of the plane because he was wearing a seat belt. However, he reportedly lost consciousness several times during the incident.

Svetlana said her husband is still receiving treatment at a hospital in Greece. His hand was seriously injured, he suffered burn marks on his body, and he still has no memory of the incident.

She also said a male and a female passenger helped her during the emergency. She especially praised an Albanian-origin passenger who played an important role in saving her husband and expressed her desire to personally thank him.

Following the incident, Ryanair said that shortly after takeoff, a section of a passenger window became detached, and the aircraft safely returned to Thessaloniki Airport. A replacement aircraft was arranged, and the passengers continued their journey to Germany on the same day.

Greece’s Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is investigating the cause of the incident.