Latest news with #Ruangsak
The Star
15-06-2025
- General
- The Star
The 11A seat connection: Air India crash's sole survivor and Thai singer both spared from same seat
Ruangsak Loychusak (left) and Vishwash Kumar Ramesh (right) both survived separate plane crashes in 1998 and 2025, respectively, while seated in the same seat, 11A. - James Ruangsak/Facebook, AFP via ST/ ANN BANGKOK: When Thai actor-singer Ruangsak Loychusak saw news of the June 12 Air India plane crash, one detail sent chills down his spine: the sole survivor had been sitting in seat 11A - the very same seat number as Ruangsak's when he survived a deadly crash nearly 27 years ago. 'Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A,' Ruangsak wrote in a Facebook post, describing the eerie coincidence that has now captivated the Internet. Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. Of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, only one - Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national - made it out alive. Thrown from the aircraft during impact, Vishwash, 40, suffered multiple injuries but managed to walk away from the wreckage and into a waiting ambulance. Speaking from hospital, Vishwash told Indian media: 'For some time, I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could.' Back in December 1998, Ruangsak was just 20 when Thai Airways Flight TG261 crashed while trying to land in Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand. The aircraft plunged into a swamp, killing 101 of the 146 people onboard. Ruangsak survived - and over the years, has spoken publicly about the trauma and survivor's guilt he carried. He reportedly refused to fly for nearly a decade, calling the life he's lived since a 'second life'. Now, with both he and Vishwash linked by the same seat number and similar survival stories, interest in seat 11A has exploded online. But experts warn that there's no such thing as a universally 'safest seat'. While Viswash's position beside a functioning emergency exit proved critical, that won't always be the case, experts say. 'Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location,' said Mitchell Fox, director at the US-based Flight Safety Foundation, in comments to Reuters. Aircraft layouts vary widely, and what's considered a good position in one configuration might not be in another. 'In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day,' said Ron Bartsch, chairman of Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. 'But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787.' Aviation safety experts remind passengers that survival often depends less on luck and more on preparedness. Listening to the safety briefing, identifying your nearest exit, and following crew instructions without delay can significantly improve your chances, they say. It may be tempting to view 11A as a miracle seat. But in the world of aviation safety, every crash is different - and survival comes down to far more than a number, experts say. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
15-06-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Sole survivor in Air India crash and Thai singer both survive separate plane crashes from seat 11A
Mr Ruangsak Loychusak (left) and Mr Vishwash Kumar Ramesh (right) both survived separate plane crashes in 1998 and 2025, respectively, while seated in the same seat, 11A. PHOTOS: JAMESRUANGSAK/FACEBOOK, AFP The 11A seat connection: Air India crash's sole survivor and Thai singer both spared from same seat When Thai actor-singer Ruangsak Loychusak saw news of the June 12 Air India plane crash, one detail sent chills down his spine: the sole survivor had been sitting in seat 11A - the very same seat number as Mr Ruangsak 's when he survived a deadly crash nearly 27 years ago. 'Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A,' Mr Ruangsak wrote in a Facebook post, describing the eerie coincidence that has now captivated the Internet. Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. Of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, only one - Mr Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national - made it out alive. Thrown from the aircraft during impact, Mr Vishwash, 40, suffered multiple injuries but managed to walk away from the wreckage and into a waiting ambulance. Speaking from hospital, Mr Vishwash told Indian media: 'For some time, I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could.' Back in December 1998 , Mr Ruangsak was just 20 when Thai Airways Flight TG261 crashed while trying to land in Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand. The aircraft plunged into a swamp, killi ng 101 of the 146 people onboard. Mr Ruangsak survived - and over the years, has spoken publicly about the trauma and survivor's guilt he carried. He reportedly refused to fly for nearly a decade, calling the life he's lived since a 'second life'. Now, with both he and Mr Vishwash linked by the same seat number and similar survival stories, interest in seat 11A has exploded online. But experts warn that there's no such thing as a universally 'safest seat'. 'Impossible to predict survivability based on seat' While Mr Viswash's position beside a functioning emergency exit proved critical, that won't always be the case, experts say. 'Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location,' said Mr Mitchell Fox, director at the US-based Flight Safety Foundation, in comments to Reuters. Aircraft layouts vary widely, and what's considered a good position in one configuration might not be in another. 'In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day,' said Mr Ron Bartsch, chairman of Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. 'But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787.' Aviation safety experts remind passengers that survival often depends less on luck and more on preparedness. Listening to the safety briefing, identifying your nearest exit, and following crew instructions without delay can significantly improve your chances, they say. It may be tempting to view 11A as a miracle seat. But in the world of aviation safety, every crash is different - and survival comes down to far more than a number, experts say. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Tribune
14-06-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Seat 11A: A Chilling Link Between Two Air Tragedy Survivors
Nearly three decades ago, Thai singer Ruangsak Loychusak—famous in the 90s as 'Iron Bones'—miraculously walked away from the wreckage of Thai Airways Flight TG261. The plane had crashed into a rubber plantation in 1998, killing 101 people. Ruangsak, who was seated in 11A, survived with injuries and carried a fear of flying for more than 10 years. Now, almost 27 years later, the number 11A has resurfaced in a way that left him speechless. This week, Ruangsak learned that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—the only survivor of the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad—was also sitting in seat 11A when the plane hit a college hostel building. In a quiet and emotional post, Ruangsak said the coincidence gave him goosebumps. He called it a powerful reminder of how unpredictable and fragile life can be. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the victims' families in Ahmedabad and reflected on how one seat—11A—has now come to represent survival against all odds in two separate tragedies.
Filipino Times
14-06-2025
- General
- Filipino Times
Two plane crash survivors, 27 years apart, both sat in Seat 11A
Two plane crash survivors, 27 years apart, were both seated in seat 11A. Thai singer and actor James Ruangsak Loychusak expressed shock after learning the lone survivor of the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad occupied the same seat he sat in during a 1998 crash. 'Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A,' Ruangsak wrote in a Facebook post in Thai. Ruangsak survived the Thai Airways TG261 crash in December 1998 while seated in 11A. The plane crashed while landing in southern Thailand, killing 101 people of 146 aboard. On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner flying from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of 242 people on board and dozens on the ground The sole survivor, British‑Indian Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was also seated in 11A, surviving with minor injuries as he escaped through a broken emergency exit. He is now recovering in a hospital.
Mint
14-06-2025
- General
- Mint
Same seat, same miracle: Thailand star finds eerie link with Air India plane crash survivor, ‘I was in 11A, too'
Thai singer Ruangsak James Loychusak, now 47, was a survivor of the 1998 Thai Airways plane crash that killed 101 people. He has recalled surviving and revealed an uncanny coincidence. He was in seat 11A, the same seat as the only survivor of the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Ruangsak was on flight TG261, which crashed into a swamp while landing in Surat Thani. Only 45 people survived. He said he got goosebumps when he saw the seat number of Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the Air India crash. 'The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A. Goosebumps', Loychusak wrote on Facebook. Ahmedabad: The ticket of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a survivor of the Air India plane crash, in Ahmedabad, Thursday, June 12, 2025. The Ahmedabad-London Air India flight, carrying 242 passengers, crashed moments after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport. (PTI Photo) (PTI06_12_2025_000362B) Ruangsak shared that the crash left deep trauma. For 10 years, he feared flying, avoided people and got anxious seeing clouds. '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,' the MailOnline quoted him as saying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets and enquires about the health condition of Viswash Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the Air India AI-171 flight crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday. (ANI Photo) '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,' he added. Though he doesn't have his old boarding pass, newspaper reports confirmed his seat number. He offered condolences to all who lost loved ones in the recent tragedy and said surviving gave him a 'second life'. The singer's Facebook friends commented on his post. 'I clearly remember the day I went to visit you at the hospital. I was standing in front of the glass room and saw you with tubes all over your body, looking like you were asleep or unconscious. After visiting you, I had to rush to catch my next flight to Surat Thani immediately. I was really scared at that moment,' wrote one friend. 'A YouTuber once said that number 11 is an alien code,' wrote another. One user wrote, 'There must be something hidden behind this for sure.' Another user found the coincidence 'unbelievable'.
