A man who was sucked out of an airplane window at 15,000 feet has spoken for the first time about his terrifying ordeal.
Ljubisa Karovic was on Ryanair flight FR1879 from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, intending to be the surprise guest at his younger brother’s birthday.
But 20 minutes into the flight, and with Ljubisa asleep in seat 11F, the window next to him blew out and he was partially sucked out of the Boeing 737 jet.
Only the swift actions of Ljubisa’s horrified wife, Svetlana Grkovic Maksimovic, and other passengers who desperately held onto his legs, prevented the man from being catapulted out of the aircraft.
They managed to pull him back into the plane, which then made a safe landing in Thessaloniki.
His story made headlines around the world and after recovering for six days in a Greek hospital, 61-year-old Ljubisa spoke to the Daily Mail about his ordeal.
“I fell asleep quite quickly as I usually do on flights. Then there was this deafening explosion, which startled me,” he told the news outlet.
“I don’t remember anything at all because I immediately passed out. But the whole thing has been like a nightmare. I can’t even sleep at night, all I can hear when I close my eyes is the sound of an explosion and then there is chaos in my head.
“I lost consciousness when I was hanging out of the plane and then they tell me that I fainted three more times after I was dragged back in. My face was swollen and my ear was like a giant doughnut.”
Ljubisa told the Daily Mail he now suffers with acute neck and shoulder pain and has to wear a neck brace for six weeks. Doctors have warned him that he may require an operation if the pain continues.
“I am lucky because my injuries could have been a lot worse. I can’t tell you what was going through my mind when I was hanging outside the plane, but I am grateful that I am still here.”
The incident is being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
