In a tragedy that shocked the world, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, emerged as the sole survivor of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 33 on the ground. Seated in 11A, next to an emergency exit, Ramesh’s survival has been hailed as a “miracle,” with aviation experts suggesting his seat location played a critical role in his escape. A chilling new video showing Ramesh walking away from the flaming wreckage has captivated global audiences, fueling fascination with the “miracle of seat 11A.”
The Crash and Ramesh’s Escape
Flight AI171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed minutes after departing Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a hostel at BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. The impact caused a massive fireball, with most victims’ bodies burned beyond recognition. Ramesh, seated in 11A—an emergency exit row just in front of the left wing—recounted a violent jolt and the pilot’s distress call before the plane disintegrated. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed,” he told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. “It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me.”
Ramesh described crawling through smoke and rubble, with the aircraft door blown open on impact, providing a narrow escape route. “I was close to the ground floor. There was space, and I crawled out from there,” he said. His hand was burned, and he sustained injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet, but he walked away with a limp, as seen in viral footage showing him emerging from the wreckage with thick black smoke billowing behind. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed Ramesh was found in seat 11A, and a bystander led him to an ambulance.
Why Seat 11A? Expert Insights
Aviation experts have pointed to Ramesh’s proximity to the emergency exit as a likely factor in his survival. “Sitting next to an exit door may increase a person’s chances of survival in a crash,” noted a report by The Independent, though experts caution that seat 11A’s safety is specific to the Boeing 787’s configuration. The seat’s location near the front and an emergency exit allowed Ramesh to act swiftly when the door blew open. However, experts like those cited by CBC News emphasize that no seat is universally “safest,” as survival depends on crash dynamics, aircraft layout, and luck.
The “11A enigma” gained further intrigue due to an eerie coincidence: Thai singer-actor James Ruangsak Loychusak, a survivor of a 1998 Thai Airways crash that killed 101 of 146 passengers, was also seated in 11A. Loychusak called the parallel “uncanny,” sparking global fascination, with passengers reportedly requesting seat 11A despite warnings from aviation authorities against viewing it as a “miracle seat.”
A Second 11A Miracle
Adding to the mystique, British businessman Owen Jackson, 31, from Essex, was booked in seat 11A on the same Air India route two days later, on June 14, 2025, but postponed his trip, narrowly escaping the doomed flight. “It’s a shock,” Jackson told The Sun. “I’m more grateful than anything else—it’s such a weird coincidence.” The aircraft scheduled for his flight was reportedly the same model involved in the crash, amplifying the “miracle seat” narrative.
Personal Tragedy Amid Survival
Ramesh’s survival is bittersweet. He was traveling with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, seated in 11J, just across the aisle, who did not survive. “We visited Diu. He was traveling with me, and I can’t find him anymore,” Ramesh pleaded from the hospital, haunted by the loss. He tried to return to the wreckage to save his brother but was restrained by first responders. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ramesh in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he is recovering rapidly.
Aftermath and Investigation
The crash, India’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades, prompted the Civil Aviation Ministry to order enhanced safety inspections of Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 fleet starting June 15, 2025. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau recovered the black box 28 hours after the incident, with Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu overseeing the probe. Initial reports suggest technical faults, flagged by Ramesh hours before the flight, may have contributed.
Public Fascination and Sentiment
The “miracle of seat 11A” has gone viral, with X posts reflecting awe and skepticism. Users like @LeadershipNGA called Ramesh’s escape “terrifying yet miraculous,” while @empowertradlng marveled at his survival amid bodies and debris. Others, like @_gyaanchakshu, noted the irony of articles advising against seat 11A, given its role in Ramesh’s survival. The surge in demand for emergency exit seats, dubbed the “Viswash effect,” underscores the public’s captivation.
Ramesh’s story, marked by loss, courage, and an improbable escape, has cemented seat 11A as a symbol of survival against staggering odds. While experts caution against superstitions, the world remains gripped by this tale of one man’s miracle.
By International News Correspondent
Published: June 17, 2025
