A Ryanair flight had to return shortly after take-off after a passenger window dislodged inflight, and witnesses reported the man was nearly pulled out of the cabin. Passengers told local media the passenger—described as a Serbian man in his 60s—was left hanging head first out of the window up to his shoulders for several minutes before others managed to pull him back inside.

Ryanair said the aircraft returned to the departure airport shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight. It said the aircraft landed normally, passengers returned to the terminal, and one passenger received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. Ryanair also said a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen later.

Reports from Greece and Germany said there was a loud bang, the window broke, and oxygen masks fell from the ceiling shortly after the Boeing 737 took off. Witnesses believed engine debris may have smashed the window, though Ryanair did not comment on the cause.

The aircraft was believed to be about 18 years old and was operated by Ryanair’s subsidiary Malta Air. The Irish Aviation Authority said it is aware of the incident and will provide assistance to the relevant safety investigation authorities in Greece and Malta.

The BBC also noted a past similar incident in 2018 on a Southwest Airlines flight in the US, when debris from a damaged engine caused a window to break and a passenger died.