A man claims he was nearly sucked out of a Ryanair flight through a smashed window. Now the airline is disputing his account

“He wasn’t partially out the window. Part of his face didn’t get out the window. We don’t think any part of his body got out the window, but he was certainly sucked in very dramatic circumstances towards the window,” O’Leary told reporters.

Differing accounts of a dramatic incident

While saying he was “not trying to downplay” the incident, O’Leary strongly disputed the accounts of Ljubisa Karovic, the passenger who was involved in the incident, and Karovic’s wife.

“He wasn’t partially out the window, and his wife, who claims that she saved him by hanging on to his feet, is certainly somewhat delusional, given that she was sitting in a seat three rows behind him,” he said.

Karovic’s attorney maintains the head, hand and part of the upper body of his client were pulled through the window when it broke — and says he is able to back up the allegations.

“I have eyewitnesses who were on the plane and saw what happened,” Tsiaras said. “So I think Mr. O’Leary is delusional — not my client or his wife.”

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said a flight attendant on the plane “noticed that the passenger in seat 11F was partially lodged in a damaged cabin window, and that the entire window was missing. Other passengers were assisting and managed to pull the injured passenger back into the cabin.”

A bird strike is the suspected reason for the incident.