THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A man who was partially sucked out of a dislodged window on a flight from Greece to Germany on Friday was pulled back inside the aircraft by fellow passengers.
The 61-year-old passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns, according to a Greek hospital official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.
The incident happened on a morning flight from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki to Memmingen, near Munich, which was operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air. Ryanair, Europe's largest budget carrier, said in a statement the flight “returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take off when a passenger window dislodged in-flight.”
Passengers told Greek media that they heard a loud bang, oxygen masks dropped and the plane began to lose altitude.
One passenger, identified only as Christina, told Thessaloniki radio that some passengers panicked and screamed and that one passenger was partially sucked out of the window.
“His whole head, neck, shoulders” were pulled out of the window, she said, adding that those seated near him pulled him back in.
“Most people had fallen asleep, we had closed our eyes. We heard a sound, I’d describe it like a tire bursting, … but very loud,” she said. “We knew straight away we lost pressure because we lost altitude. … Screams, shrieks, shouting.”
The plane landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal, and one passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki, the airline said in a statement. A replacement aircraft was later provided to fly the passengers to Germany.
The National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. federal agency that investigates aviation accidents and other major transportation incidents, said it was notified that the flight turned back because of “a right engine issue and cabin decompression.”
The agency said it is standing by to assist in the investigation, which will be led by the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Committee of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, which can seat up to 189 passengers. The narrow-body plane was delivered new to Ryanair in 2008, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
Flight records show that the aircraft climbed past 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) about six minutes after departure and then immediately descended to about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) “to burn fuel for 30 minutes” before returning to Thessaloniki about an hour after taking off, Flightradar24 said.
Associated Press writer Rio Yamat contributed to this report from Las Vegas.
FILE - The Ryanair desk is seen, Aug. 10, 2018, at the Barajas airport in Madrid, Spain. (AP Photo/Paul White, File)
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Lawyers for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk tried to sow doubt about the case Friday, while a prosecutor countered that authorities had “overwhelming” evidence including DNA tests and apparent confessions by defendant Tyler Robinson.
Judge Tony Graf will decide if the case should advance to a trial after closing arguments from the two sides scheduled for Sept. 1.
Kirk, 31, was killed as he spoke to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty.
Friday's hearing brought an emotional moment for Kirk's family, when the court played a surveillance video that prosecutors said showed Robinson on the rooftop where he allegedly fired a single bullet that hit Kirk in the neck.
Kirk's widow, Erika, watched intently as a person said to be Robinson ran across the roof. When the figure dropped to a crawl near the roof's edge, Erika Kirk turned and embraced Charlie Kirk's mother, Kathryn, who was crying. They held each other and looked away until the video was almost over.
Prosecutors this week presented testimony from a former roommate who said the 23-year-old defendant expressed remorse for the shooting before turning himself in. Lawyers from the Utah County Attorney's Office also offered DNA analysis that investigators said linked Robinson to both the suspected murder weapon and a tool he allegedly used to etch messages onto bullet cartridges.
Robinson's team did not offer any alternative theories for who is responsible for Kirk's death. But one of his attorneys, Michael Burt, repeatedly questioned the reliability of DNA tests and other evidence cited by prosecutors.
Burt used testimony Friday from a government DNA analyst to highlight the limitations of such tests. He noted that government policies don't allow analysts to say that DNA evidence is “infallible” or that it has a “zero error rate.” He also indicated it's possible for DNA to be transported by a third party.
“If you had a lot of DNA on your hand, we shook hands and I went to pick up an exhibit, a gun, and I touched the trigger of it, your DNA could be on that trigger, right?” Burt asked Caitlin Oliver, a forensic biologist with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“It is possible. Yes,” Oliver replied.
Experts say the science behind DNA testing is sound.
Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander questioned the relevance of bringing in Oliver as a witness. He suggested prosecutors already had met the burden of proof needed to advance the case to trial.
“Your honor's heard four days of testimony now. The evidence is overwhelming. It’s devastating," Grunander said.
Robinson has not entered a plea. He turned himself in a day after the fatal shooting of Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump credited with helping galvanize young voters for the Republican in the 2024 election.
Kirk’s family released a statement shortly after court ended, expressing gratitude for the support and prayers offered to them. They said the preliminary hearing “marks an important step forward in the pursuit of justice for Charlie.”
“As difficult as these last few days have been, it brings our family comfort to know that the world has witnessed the overwhelming evidence of what occurred to Charlie that day,” the statement said.
The video that prosecutors said showed Robinson allegedly running across the roof at Utah Valley University was played for the court gallery at the request of Kirk's family. Portions of the recording were zoomed in to better show the figure on the roof, and red circles were added to some images. An unaltered version of that video was shown earlier.
Prosecutors also aired portions of a recorded interview with Robinson's roommate, Lance Twiggs, who was Robinson's romantic partner. The day after Kirk was shot in the neck, Robinson allegedly told Twiggs “he wishes he hadn’t done it,” a recording played in court revealed.
Later that same day — and only about an hour before turning himself in — Robinson posted “it was me at UVU yesterday,” in a chat room on the Discord social media platform, according to investigators and messages shown by prosecutors.
Defense attorneys unsuccessfully fought the public release of the statements from Twiggs and the chat room messages. They argued prosecutors would characterize the material as a confession, undermining Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Prosecutors contend the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law. Robinson faces possible sentence enhancements based on claims by prosecutors that he targeted Kirk because of his political views.
Twiggs said in the April interview with prosecutors and investigators that Robinson sometimes talked about politics, including Trump. But Twiggs said he never heard Robinson talk about Kirk before the shooting. The defendant also did not talk much about gender issues or LGBTQ rights, Twiggs said.
The weeklong preliminary hearing attracted intense media coverage and spectators who have angled for one of the 14 seats in the courtroom that are reserved for the public.
People have lined up early — sometimes sleeping there overnight — in hopes of getting in.
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf speaks during a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, at the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, Friday, July 10, 2026. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)
Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, listens as Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride speaks during a preliminary hearing at the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, Friday, July 10, 2026. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)
A woman sleeps outside the courthouse hoping to get access to the limited public seating available at a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, in Provo, Utah, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Defense attorney Michael Burt arrives at the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, in Provo, Utah, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
law enforcement monitors the parking lot outside the fourth judicial District courthouse where a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, in Provo, Utah, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
A law enforcement officer uses binoculars to watch from the roof of the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, Thursday, July 9, 2026, before a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps)
Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, listens during a preliminary hearing at the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps, Pool)
A video interview with Lance Twiggs, Tyler Robinson's roommate and reported romantic partner, is shown during a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, at the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps, Pool)
Charlie Kirk's parents, Kathryn, and Robert Kirk, right, arrive at the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, for a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, Thursday, July 9, 2026 (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
