Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was travelling from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when he found himself dangling outside the aircraft, with his head and shoulders exposed to the elements, as his wife desperately clung to his feet for five harrowing minutes.
Engine piece smashed window
A fragment of the engine had come loose mid-flight and smashed through the window. The aircraft was forced to abort its journey and make an emergency landing back at its departure airport following the terrifying incident.
Mr Karović has now opened up about the "nightmare experience" that has left him at "rock bottom" and plagued by panic attacks.
Panic attacks and trauma
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."
Injuries and recovery
The harrowing ordeal has left Mr Karović with serious injuries, requiring him to wear a neck brace for six weeks. Following the incident, he has endured a swollen and numb head, temporary paralysis affecting the right side of his body, and partial impairment to his right ear and eye.
Burns on his back and right hand compound his suffering, and he fears a full recovery may be beyond reach. The man who previously relished travelling for both work and leisure now finds his existence utterly transformed and cannot operate as he once did.
He continued: "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."
Wife's account
Only last week, his wife Svetlana Grković recalled the frightening ordeal aboard the aircraft. Speaking to Nova, she said: "I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together.' It was horrible."
Chaos erupted with certain passengers gripped by panic while others scrambled to help Mr Karović. "Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman," she added. "That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I."
Ms Grković voiced her wish to personally acknowledge the courageous passenger whose intervention proved vital in preserving her husband's life.
