Man sucked out of Ryanair flight vows to NEVER fly again after nightmare ordeal 20,000ft in the air

A man who was sucked out of a Ryanair plane has said he is "not even contemplating getting on another flight" after his nightmare ordeal.

Serbian Ljubiaa Karovic, 61, received neck and shoulder injuries after a window broke during his flight from the Greek city of Thessaloniki to Memmingen in Germany on July 10 for his brother's birthday.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, said an initial investigation into the incident suggested it could have been caused by "foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff".

But now, father-of-one Mr Karovic has detailed the horrifying experience which has left him in a neck brace.

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He told German newspaper Bild: "I fell asleep... After some time I got 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."

Describing it as a "nightmare" experience, he added: "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."

He also admitted he is still recovering psychologically from the ordeal.

"Mentally, I have hit rock bottom. It has an effect on both my work and family. It is a complete upheaval in my life," he said.

"I have no concentration. My attention can't be focused on anything. That means I'm simply not functioning properly."

His wife, Svetlana Grkovic Maksimovic, said she and two other passengers held onto her husband's legs for several minutes to prevent him from flying out the jet.

She thanked one passenger, who she believes is Albanian, for his efforts to rescue her husband.

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Mrs Maksimovic told The Guardian: "He did all he could to bring him in and then tried to block the window, first with a bag that was immediately sucked out and then with a suitcase, which worked."

The Serbian businessman also told the newspaper he was "lucky" to be alive.

"I believe in God and I thank him every day," he said.

With a smile, he also told flyers to "always make sure to wear your seatbelt".

In a statement at the time, Ryanair said the plane "returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window dislodged in-flight".

They said the plane landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal, and one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki.

The US's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the incident on July 16.

Mr O'Leary said a draft report would be issued in about four weeks.

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