Miracle of seat 11A as singer survived fatal plane crash in exact same position
Ruangsak Loychusak, 47, from Thailand, survived a deadly crash in 1998 after sitting in seat 11A. Much like Air India survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was also sat in the same position
A Thai popstar has revealed how he survived a plane crash in 1998 and was sitting in the same seat as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who miraculously made it out alive of the Air India disaster this week. Ruangsak Loychusak, 47, shared his eerie survival of the crash which killed 101 passengers on the Thai Airways flight TG261.
He had set off from Bangkok to Surat Thani when it plummeted into a swamp. Although he no longer has his ticket, old news reports documented his brush with death at the time. Altogether, 101 out of 132 passengers and 14 crew members had died. 45 injuries were recorded after the catastrophe.
After hearing about the unlikely news of the seat number, Ruangsak said he had "goosebumps". He stated: "The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A. I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy."
He added that nightmares of the crash plagued his life for a decade and said he suffered from breathing issues after the incident. "I had difficulty flying for 10 years after the crash. I would struggled breathing, even though the air circulation was normal.
"I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety.
"If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell. I can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the plane crashed into. For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself."
Over 20 years later, Ramesh survived a crash under similar circumstances and was also sat in seat 11A. Explaining how the disaster unfolded, he told DD News: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.
"Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white. The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.'
He added: 'At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage. I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.'
It comes as the sole survivor of the Air India Flight 171 disaster revealed the horror moment before the plane erupted into a fireball near Ahmedabad Airport in western India during a shock crash. The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, was carrying 242 people bound for Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a college in a residential area on Thursday.
British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, the sole survivor has told how the lights "started flickering" before the aircraft hit the ground. The 40-year-old told the Hindustan Times: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.
"Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there.'
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