Passenger nearly sucked out of Ryanair plane after window shatters VIDEO

A technical malfunction occurred aboard a Ryanair aircraft shortly after take-off from Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport when a window reportedly shattered for unknown reasons, partially pulling a nearby passenger towards the opening and leaving him injured.

The Ryanair flight was travelling from Thessaloniki International Airport "Macedonia" to Memmingen Airport in Germany, Caliber.Az reports, citing Greek broadcaster ERT News.

Passengers said that several minutes after take-off, while the aircraft was already airborne, a loud noise was heard and a window suddenly shattered. A 60-year-old Greek passenger seated next to the window was reportedly pulled partially outside the aircraft.

Passengers sitting nearby managed to hold the man inside the cabin, while his seatbelt also helped prevent him from being pulled further towards the opening.

The incident triggered panic on board, and oxygen masks were automatically deployed. The pilots calmed passengers and returned the aircraft to Thessaloniki Airport.

The injured passenger was taken to hospital suffering from shock, neck problems, abrasions and friction burns caused by contact with the shattered window.

Most of the remaining passengers were uninjured and later continued their journey to Germany on another flight.

According to preliminary information cited by the broadcaster, the incident may have been caused by a fragment that detached from the aircraft's engine during take-off and struck the window, causing it to break.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov