Ljubiša Karović, 61, was travelling from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when part of the engine broke away during the flight and smashed through the window, forcing an emergency landing
The Ryanair passenger who was horrifically sucked out of a shattered plane window has shared his first account of the ‘nightmare’ experience – and the terror he now feels whenever he hears an aircraft.
Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was en route from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when his head and shoulders ended up hanging outside the plane while his wife frantically held onto his feet for five agonising minutes.
A piece of the engine had detached mid-flight and crashed through the window. The plane was compelled to turn around and execute an emergency landing at its departure airport following the dramatic episode.
Mr Karović has now spoken out about the “nightmare experience” that has left him at “rock bottom” and suffering from panic attacks.
Speaking to German news outlet Bild, he said: “I fell asleep… After some time I was woken up by a massive bang like a bomb. Only for one moment I was conscious and cannot remember the rest.
“I had blood all over me, blood was dripping from my face and my hands. As soon as I close my eyes, images appear of the nightmare I experienced. Those few minutes, it is simply a nightmare, which I cannot explain with words.
“I am not even contemplating getting on another flight. Every time I hear an airplane, I get stress and a fever. I am not well at all when I hear an airplane.”
The horrifying incident left Mr Karović with severe injuries and he will be in a neck brace for six weeks. Since the accident, he has been suffering from a swollen and numb head, temporary paralysis on the right side of his body, and partial damage to his right ear and eye.
He also has burns on his back and right hand and believes it’s unlikely he’ll fully recover. The man who once loved travelling for business and pleasure now finds his life completely disrupted and can’t function as before.
He added: “Now everything is bothering me. The hustle and bustle bother me, I cannot walk on the street, everything bothers me. Mentally I have hit rock bottom. It has an effect on both my work and family.
“It is a complete upheaval in my life. I have no concentration. My attention can’t be focused on anything. That means I’m simply not functioning properly.”
Just last week, his wife Svetlana Grković recounted the terrifying experience in the air.
Speaking to Nova, she said: “I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: ‘If we die, we die together.’ It was horrible.”
Pandemonium broke out with some passengers panicking while others rushed to assist Mr Karović.
“Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman,” she continued. “That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I.”
Ms Grković expressed her desire to personally thank the brave passenger who played a crucial role in saving her husband’s life.