2 different plane crash survivors say they sat in seat 11A — does where you sit actually matter?
Two different doomed flights, two different survivors with one thing in common: seat 11A.
Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash that killed 241 people on board and several more on the ground after the plane crashed minutes after takeoff last Thursday, has made headlines around the world.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck a medical college hostel in a ball of flames when it crashed into a residential area of the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. Most bodies of those aboard the plane were burned beyond recognition. But police say Ramesh was seated near the emergency exit of the plane and managed to jump through it after the crash.
U.K. media have dubbed it the " miracle of seat 11A," after Ramesh's boarding pass confirmed that's where he was sitting on the flight bound for London's Gatwick Airport.
Sole survivor of Air India crash has an incredible story — but he's not unique
But Thai singer and actor James Ruangsak Loychusak, who was one of the survivors of a deadly 1998 Thai Airways plane crash, is calling it an "uncanny coincidence."
"Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A," Loychusak wrote on Facebook Friday.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the Airbus A310 Loychusak was aboard in 1998 crashed during its approach to Surat Thani Airport, killing 101 people.
The plane crashed in heavy rain, after its third landing attempt at the airport 500 kilometres southwest of Bangkok. But 45 people survived, including Loychusak.
In a further explanation, written in Thai, Loychusak wrote that he doesn't have his ticket or boarding pass from the flight, but he said he knows his seat number based on online seating charts for his aircraft, which he shared in his post.
In a further explanation, Loychusak wrote in Thai that he doesn't have his ticket or boarding pass from the flight. As such, CBC News is unable to verify his exact seat. But he claimed to know his seat number based on online seating charts for his aircraft, which he shared online.
"That was an uncanny coincidence," he told India's The Telegraph Online Monday. "The kind that gives you goosebumps."
Just a coincidence?
After Loychusak shared his post, the story began to go viral, and some people commenting online have wondered if there's something about seat 11A that makes it safer than others.
Not according to aviation and disaster medicine experts, who tend to agree that all crashes are unique, and there are a number of random factors that could improve your chances of survival, so it's more about all those variables aligning.
"Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit, previously told Reuters.
Plus, seat 11A is located in different spots on different planes, depending on the configuration of the aircraft.
In Ramesh's case, seat 11A on the 787-8 Dreamliner was the first row in economy class, directly behind the emergency exit.
But in an Airbus A310, according to photos on the Seat Guru website and a graphic of a seating chart shared on Facebook by Loychusak, 11A is a few rows ahead of the emergency exit.
In general, sitting near an emergency exit can improve chances of evacuation, especially in survivable crashes involving fire or smoke, said Stephen Wood, an associate clinical professor at Northeastern University in Boston and an expert in disaster medicine and EMS.
However, in a high-energy impact crash, like the one in India, survivability based on seat location becomes far more complex, he told CBC News. Exit row seats are often near reinforced parts of the airframe, Wood explained. They are also adjacent to structural components like the wing span which can be sites of significant destruction.
"In this case, the fact that the survivor was seated there may have been fortuitous, but it's not a guarantee of safety in most crashes," Wood said, speaking specifically about Ramesh's experience.
"So yes, his seat may have helped, but survival likely depended on much more than that alone."
WATCH | Survivor of Air India crash walks away:
British national was sole survivor of Air India crash
3 days ago
Duration 4:43
Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian descent, was the only passenger who survived the crash of an Air India plane bound for London that killed at least 240 people on Thursday in Ahmedabad. Social media video appeared to show him walking away from the crash; CBC News has not independently verified the video.
Every crash is different
In short, it doesn't really matter where you sit since every accident is different, experts say.
"It all depends on the crash dynamics," Daniel Kwasi Adjekum, an aviation safety researcher at the University of North Dakota, told Live Science earlier this month.
A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers toward the back of the plane had better survival odds.
Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability (while also acknowledging the danger of being over the fuel tanks). A study conducted by Time magazine in 2015 concluded the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft had the highest survival probability.
Sitting next to an exit door, as Ramesh did, gives people an opportunity to be one of the first passengers to get out in the event that a plane goes down, although some exits don't function after a crash.
For instance, Ramesh has said the opposite side of the plane was crushed against a wall of the building it crashed into. This could have prevented anyone who may have survived the impact on the right side of the plane from escaping through that emergency exit.
"From a technical perspective, survival in these kinds of events is usually due to a confluence of rare but explainable factors including the aircraft's breakup pattern, impact dynamics, the survivor's position and condition and sometimes just seconds of timing," Wood told CBC News.
'Beyond seat numbers'
On Facebook Sunday, Loychusak noted that his story is "now going viral across many countries."
"But what I truly want to share goes beyond seat numbers," he said.
"I want to tell the world what this experience gave me — not just survival, but a completely new perspective on life."
The Thai Airways flight that crashed on Dec. 11, 1998, was carrying 132 passengers and 14 crew. Hundreds of rescue workers waded through a muddy swamp to pull charred bodies from the wreckage.
Loychusak survived, but endured severe injuries, including fractured ribs, spinal trauma, and brain hemorrhaging. He spent over a year in recovery, he told India's The Telegraph. Though he was a recognizable pop star, he said he had to get used to a different type of spotlight from his hospital bed.
That included families of victims asking "Why you?" Loychusak told the news site.
"I didn't have an answer then. I still don't."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada News.Net
2 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
AI-171 plane crash: 245 bodies handed over to families, 251 identified
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 22 (ANI): The DNA samples of 251 victims in the Air India plane crash have been identified, and the mortal remains of 245 victims have been handed over to the concerned families as of Sunday evening. Speaking to mediapersons, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said, 'DNA samples of 251 dead bodies of the plane crash have been matched. So far, a total of 245 bodies have been handed over to the families, while six families, who are from the UK, will receive the bodies of their relatives in the near future.' 'The 245 dead include 176 Indian citizens, 7 Portuguese, 49 British citizens, one Canadian and 12 non-passengers. Dr Rakesh Joshi gave details of the bodies handed over,' he added. On June 12, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers who died in the plane crash Two days ago, Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson reassured the public and employees that the airline's fleet--particularly its Boeing 787 aircraft--remains safe to operate following comprehensive checks and that the carrier is exercising maximum caution in the wake of the AI171 tragedy. In an official communication, Campbell said, 'Have our aircraft been deemed safe? Yes. We have completed the additional precautionary checks on our operating Boeing 787 fleet as requested by the DGCA, who have publicly declared that they meet required standards.' 'We have also, as a matter of abundant precaution, voluntarily decided to continue additional pre-flight checks for the time being. Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft - of any type - for service,' said the CEO. (ANI)
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
AI-171 plane crash: 245 bodies handed over to families, 251 identified
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 22 (ANI): The DNA samples of 251 victims in the Air India plane crash have been identified, and the mortal remains of 245 victims have been handed over to the concerned families as of Sunday evening. Speaking to mediapersons, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi said, 'DNA samples of 251 dead bodies of the plane crash have been matched. So far, a total of 245 bodies have been handed over to the families, while six families, who are from the UK, will receive the bodies of their relatives in the near future.' 'The 245 dead include 176 Indian citizens, 7 Portuguese, 49 British citizens, one Canadian and 12 non-passengers. Dr Rakesh Joshi gave details of the bodies handed over,' he added. On June 12, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers who died in the plane crash Two days ago, Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson reassured the public and employees that the airline's fleet--particularly its Boeing 787 aircraft--remains safe to operate following comprehensive checks and that the carrier is exercising maximum caution in the wake of the AI171 tragedy. In an official communication, Campbell said, 'Have our aircraft been deemed safe? Yes. We have completed the additional precautionary checks on our operating Boeing 787 fleet as requested by the DGCA, who have publicly declared that they meet required standards.' 'We have also, as a matter of abundant precaution, voluntarily decided to continue additional pre-flight checks for the time being. Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft - of any type - for service,' said the CEO. (ANI)
Vancouver Sun
6 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Families of Air India bombing victims find peace and presence at Irish memorial
AHAKISTA, Ireland — As Padmini Turlapati sat on a bench in front of the Air India memorial on Saturday, she looked out at the sea and said she felt her sons Sanjay and Deepak were with her. 'I feel very serene and I see Sanjay in the air, blowing all over me, and Deepak flowing towards me, saying, 'Hi mom, welcome,'' Turlapati, 84, said. 'I feel like I'm connected with them, then I internalize that feeling and take it home with me for another 365 days.' Sanjay was 14 and Deepak 11 when they travelled from Toronto on Air India Flight 182 to visit relatives in India in June 1985. When the plane was brought down near Ahakista by a B.C.-made bomb — their parents' world was shattered. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Sanjay's body was among 132 recovered, while Deepak was never found. Padmini and her husband, Babu, have made the pilgrimage to the rocky coastline every June since, to connect with their children and feel the warm embrace of the Irish people who help mourn them. 'I feel them when I am here. That's all I have,' Padmini said, with a photo of the smiling boys visible behind her on the memorial wall. Babu said he and his wife 'come here to be with our son, who is still in the waters. We just feel that we are visiting him by coming here every year.' They get strength from the trip despite the tragic circumstances that led to the deep bond they now share with the Irish people. 'The local community, local officials, they all take care of us as we are coming back year after year, considering us as part of their family,' he said. 'That's where we are getting all the peace of mind and strength.' The Turlapatis also connect here with other relatives of the 329 victims who died that day. They don't talk much here about the B.C.-based Babbar Khalsa separatist group behind the bombing and a same day blast at Tokyo's Narita Airport that killed two baggage handlers. They don't focus on an unsuccessful B.C. prosecution of the two main suspects. They hug and smile and catch up. They touch their loved ones' names on the memorial wall that was built within a year of the terrorist attack. They walk on the rocky shore and seek solace in the sound of the lapping waves. 'We cannot reverse the events that have happened, but we can come to terms with them and live at peace with them and find beauty in the remaining part of our lives, in the memory of them,' Padmini said. 'The negatives have all gone away. I don't think of anything negative. I only think about me and my children and the peace that has come from that.' Both Turlapatis have been instrumental in organizing the annual service where a moment of silence at 8:13 a.m. on June 23 marks the time the plane exploded. They have worked to create colourful gardens surrounding the memorial wall. A larger than usual crowd is expected Monday, June 23 to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing. Dozens of relatives have travelled from Canada. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree will be here, as will Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and representatives of the Indian government. Several RCMP officers from B.C. are also here to participate. The Mounties and several relatives gathered informally at the memorial Saturday as rain threatened overhead. Saroj Gaur hugged Padmini, who she calls 'auntie' because of the support Gaur was offered by the Turlapatis when her father Om Prakash Sharma died in the bombing. Sharma had immigrated from India to work as a high school teacher in Newfoundland and support his large family. Gaur, who now lives in Toronto, said her dad wanted her to travel with him to India for the summer break. But she was 23, had just finished her studies and wanted to look for work. She was job-hunting in Toronto when she got the news about the flight from a family friend. Despite her father's contributions to Canada, she still feels that Canadians don't care. 'We were living in Canada, paying our taxes. My father was teaching Canadian children, and it hurts when he wasn't recognized. You know that it's a Canadian tragedy,' Gaur said with tears in her eyes. She also finds comfort here, near to her father, whose body wasn't recovered. 'This is my third trip. When we were driving down here, I felt something very touching. I felt like I'm coming to my own place,' she said. 'I was feeling so joyous. I felt like I belong here.' She is also grateful to the Irish for their support over four decades. 'The Irish people made this beautiful monument here. It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.' Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists. His mom's body was recovered, but neither was his dad's nor his little sister's. It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family. For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message. 'If I have the means, the ability and the health, I'll come here every year now because it makes me feel one with the family I lost,' he said. kbolan@
