Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was travelling from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when a piece of the engine detached mid-flight and crashed through the window. His head and shoulders ended up outside the plane while his wife held onto his feet for five minutes. The plane turned around and made an emergency landing at the departure airport.
First account of the 'nightmare'
Speaking to German news outlet Bild, Karović 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.'
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.'
Severe injuries and lasting trauma
The incident left Karović with severe injuries, including 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 will be in a neck brace for six weeks. He believes it's unlikely he'll fully recover.
'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,' he said. '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.'
Wife's heroic actions
His wife Svetlana Grković recounted the experience to Nova, saying: 'I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: “If we die, we die together.” It was horrible.'
She recalled that some passengers panicked while others rushed to help. 'Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman. That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I.' She expressed her desire to thank the passenger who helped save her husband's life.
