Latest news with #Viswashkumar
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Air India plane crash effect: Everyone now wants seat 11A, even if it costs extra
Following the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, which claimed 241 lives, one detail has captured the public imagination: seat 11A. That's where the only survivor, 40-year-old Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was seated. Ever since, Indian travel agents have reported a surge in requests for that very seat — with some passengers even willing to pay extra for it. Ramesh, a UK-based passenger, walked away with minor injuries after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical complex shortly after takeoff. His brother, seated beside him, tragically did not survive. Ramesh's miraculous escape, seated in the emergency exit row, has sparked what many are calling the " Viswash effect ." Travelers are now increasingly seeking out emergency exit seats — especially 11A — believing it might offer better survival odds. 'I want seat 11A, or whichever seat is by the emergency exit,' said Rajesh Bhagnani, a frequent flyer from Kolkata. 'After watching Viswashkumar's great escape, I feel that seat gives me a better shot at survival.' Another traveler, businessman Jitender Singh Bagga, echoed the sentiment. 'I'm willing to fork out any extra amount for it,' he said, referring to his upcoming flight to the US. 'Even when 11A isn't next to an emergency exit, passengers are asking for it,' said Anil Punjabi of the Travel Agents Federation of India. 'It's about belief, comfort, and peace of mind.' Live Events Is Seat 11A the safest? Aviation experts say it is not so straightforward because aircraft vary widely in seat configurations, crashes are unique and survival often hinges on a complex interplay of factors. "Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location," said Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Ramesh Viswashkumar said his 11A seat was near an emergency exit on the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday and he managed to walk out. Sitting next to an exit door might help you survive an accident but it won't always be 11A because aircraft can have dozens of different configurations. "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 at Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting. "But it's not always 11A, it's just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787." A 2007 Popular Mechanics study of crashes since 1971 found that passengers towards the back of the plane had better survival odds. Some experts suggest the wing section offers more stability. Sitting next to an exit door, like Viswashkumar, gives you an opportunity to be one of the first out of the plane, although some exits don't function after a crash. The opposite side of the plane was blocked by the wall of a building it crashed into, he said. The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex. The ill-fated flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal along with First Officer Clive Kunder. While Sabharwal had 8,200 hours of flying experience, Kunder 1,100 hours, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier said in a statement. The aircraft departed from the Ahmedabad airport at 1.39 pm. The pilot (Sabharwal) of the plane issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after take-off to the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad. Moments later, the plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, smashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Ahmedabad plane crash: Lone survivor Viswashkumar Ramesh discharged from hospital
NEW DELHI: The only survivor of the Air India AI-171 crash, Viswashkumar Ramesh, was discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Wednesday morning, six days after the disaster that killed over 240 people. The British national of Indian origin was travelling with his brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, on the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad last Thursday. The aircraft came down within 30 seconds of becoming airborne. While his brother, seated across the aisle in 11J, is among the deceased. Video clips from the crash site show the 38-year-old stumbling and bleeding, repeatedly shouting in Gujarati: 'Plane fatyo che! Plane fatyo che!' ('The plane exploded!'). Officials confirmed that the mortal remains of his brother were handed over to the family on Tuesday night. 'Where is my brother?' Still recovering from shock and head injuries, Viswashkumar initially refused to speak after being rescued. From his bed in Ward B7 of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, he reportedly asked: 'Where is my brother? Leave me alone. I don't want to talk. Can anyone tell me where he is?' In a brief conversation with his cousin Dhirendra Somabhai, he recalled hearing strange noises and feeling the aircraft stalling before the pilot's emergency call: 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' He said he remembers 'jumping through a door' and then waking up in chaos. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo According to Ayub Mansuri, a close family friend who dropped the brothers at the airport that morning, Viswashkumar spoke to him three times after the crash before his phone went dead. 'I rushed to the hospital and found him injured,' he said. From Diu to London The Ramesh brothers were among 15 residents of Bucharwada and Vanakbara villages in Diu travelling on AI-171. Originally from the coastal town of Diu, Viswashkumar had lived in the UK for over 15 years. He and his brother ran a garment business in London and also managed a fishing enterprise back in India. Authorities said Viswashkumar was identified as the sole survivor around 2.30pm on the day of the crash, after which his hospital ward was sealed off.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
UK national jumped out of emergency exit in Indian aircraft disaster
NEW DELHI, India: Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British national, has been identified as the sole known survivor of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which claimed 241 lives. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed to London's Gatwick Airport with 232 passengers and 10 crew members, crashed 32 seconds after take-off, plowing into a medical college hostel near the airport. Miraculously, Viswashkumar managed to survive what is being called one of the worst aviation disasters in recent history. According to officials, he was seated in seat 11A, near an emergency exit, and somehow escaped the wreckage—possibly by jumping out—before or just after impact. Senior Ahmedabad police officer Vidhi Chaudhary stated, "He was near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door." From his hospital bed, Viswashkumar described the harrowing aftermath. "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital," he told the Hindustan Times . It is not yet confirmed whether he jumped before or after the crash. Footage shown on Indian television channels appeared to show a man with facial injuries and a bloodstained white shirt limping down a road. The man, who resembles Viswashkumar and was later seen in hospital photographs, told bystanders that "they're all inside," referring to the other passengers. Viswashkumar had been visiting family in India and was returning to the UK with his brother, Ajay, who was seated elsewhere on the plane. "He only said that he was fine, nothing else," said Ajay Valgi, a cousin based in Leicester, England, who spoke to the BBC . The family has not yet received any information about Ajay's fate. "We're not doing well. We're all upset," Valgi added. Viswashkumar, who lives in the UK, is married and has a son. The crash site was a scene of devastation. The aircraft struck a residential zone near the airport and tore into the lunchroom of a medical hostel. Initial reports put the death toll at 294, but police later clarified that the number was inflated due to body parts being counted more than once. The current toll stands at over 240 dead, including several on the ground. Authorities continue rescue operations, though they admit the chance of finding more survivors is slim. "Chances are that there might be more survivors among the injured who are being treated in the hospital," said officer Chaudhary. News of a sole survivor has gripped the public imagination and triggered emotional reactions on social media. Many people expressed amazement, calling it a miracle or an act of divine intervention. The story of Viswashkumar's survival is already being compared to other rare instances of individuals living through catastrophic air disasters alone. Among those recalling their brushes with such tragedies is George Lamson Jr., who was the only survivor of a 1985 Galaxy Airlines crash in Reno, Nevada. He shared that news of the India crash and Viswashkumar's survival "shook" him. In 2009, 12-year-old Bahia Bakari survived a Yemenia Airways crash in the Indian Ocean, and in 2006, co-pilot Jim Polehinke was the only survivor of a Comair flight that crashed in Kentucky. Cecelia Crocker, then a young girl, survived the 1987 Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crash in Michigan, which killed 154, including her immediate family. Now, Ramesh Viswashkumar joins this small, tragic fraternity of lone survivors. While the investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and families await word on missing loved ones, his story stands out as a beacon of hope in the midst of overwhelming loss.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seat 11A: Is it the safest seat on a plane? Experts say it depends
(NewsNation) — The crash of Air India Flight 171 has travelers worldwide wondering: Are there some seats on a plane that are safer than others, and if so, which seats are they? The crash, which took place shortly after takeoff Thursday from the Ahmedabad airport, killed 241 passengers and crew members. As investigators probe the crash and families mourn those killed, attention has turned to Ramesh Viswashkumar. Viswashkumar, 40, was the only person to survive the crash. The Latest: A single passenger survived the Air India crash, hospital says The British national was in seat 11A at the time of the crash, leading many to wonder if that particular seat is safer than others. The badly injured Viswashkumar struggled Thursday to describe what he experienced as people died in front of his eyes. NBC News reported that Viswashkumar was able to escape from the broken emergency exit door just moments before the fuel-loaded plane exploded in a fireball. 'Emergency door is broken. My seat is broken,' Viswashkumar told DD India in an interview. 'Then I see the space a little bit and I will try to come out.' 'Little bit of fire, after I'm out, then blast.' Air India's sole crash survivor narrates his escape So, is seat 11A the safest in a crash? It depends on multiple factors, according to experts. Seat 11A on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is typically located near the front of the Economy Class cabin. Depending on the airliner's configuration, it is a window seat in the first or second row of that cabin. According to The Times in London, seat 11A on Flight 171 was the first economy seat, adjacent to the bulkhead emergency exit. There were seven other emergency exits on the plane. What to know about the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people Aviation experts say that determining the safest seats on a plane is not a straightforward task. 'Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location,' Mitchell Fox, a director at Flight Safety Foundation, told Reuters. Ron Bartsch, chairman of the Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting, told the news agency that seat 11A's location may have made it a safer choice on this particular flight, but that will not always be the case. Sitting next to an emergency exit also does not guarantee survival. Despite seven other emergency exits on Flight 171, there were no other survivors. Air India black box recovered after crash that killed 241 onboard and several others on the ground Emergency exits might not work following a crash, or they might be blocked by debris, experts say. Sitting in an aisle seat could offer a faster escape, but there is the threat of luggage falling into the aisles or hitting survivors as it tumbles from an overhead bin. A 2015 analysis by Time magazine found that passengers in the rear third of an aircraft have a better chance of surviving a lower-impact crash, according to The Times. The front of the plane typically takes the brunt of the impact. Seats near the wings may offer more protection, both because of their proximity to emergency exits and because of the structural reinforcements in that section. Those seats are closer to the fuel tanks, however. Sitting near an emergency exit also comes with added responsibility because passengers in exit row seats are asked to help fellow passengers evacuate the plane in a crisis. A look at previous plane crashes in India Viswashkumar, who was filmed walking away, bloody and bruised, from the crash, never had that chance. Reuters reported that he initially believed that he would perish with his fellow passengers. 'But when I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive, and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died),' he said. According to Reuters, it is vital for passengers to pay attention to the safety briefings that the cabin crew provides at the start of any flight. Compliance with the crew's instructions is credited with saving the lives of 379 passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines flight last year. Along with paying attention to the safety briefing, the Federal Aviation Administration advises that passengers keep their seat belts buckles whenever the seat belt light is lit up. Seat belts, designed to be worn low and tight on the hips, keep passengers safe during takeoff and landing and during instances of air turbulence. Children under 40 pounds should be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Passengers should also follow the airline's carry-on policies to help prevent injuries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
13-06-2025
- General
'I stood up and ran': Miraculous survival of Air India passenger with 241 confirmed deaths
Air India confirmed Ramesh Viswashkumar is the lone survivor out of the 242 people aboard an Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad (new window) soon after takeoff on Thursday. He had been sitting near an emergency exit of the London-bound flight and managed to jump out, police said. Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old told Indian media that he was a British national, and was travelling back home with his brother after visiting family in India. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital, Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times. Rescue personnel stand next to the wreckage of the Air India plane, which was bound for London's Gatwick Airport. Photo: Associated Press / Ajit Solanki Social media footage shown on Indian news channels showed a man in a bloodstained white T-shirt and dark pants limping on a street and being helped by a medic. The man had bruises on his face and a goatee beard, resembling photographs of Viswashkumar in hospital after the crash that were published by local media. Reuters could not immediately verify the video, in which people gathered around the man and asked him where the other passengers were, to which he replied they're all inside. A photo of Viswashkumar's boarding pass shown online by the Hindustan Times showed that he was seated in seat 11A of the plane bound for London's Gatwick Airport. He told the paper his brother, Ajay, had been seated in a different row on the plane and asked for help to find him. A member of Viswashkumar's family based in Britain, who requested anonymity, told Reuters over the phone that he had survived and that the family was in touch with him, but declined to share further details. Ajay Valgi, a cousin of Viswashkumar who lives in Leicester, central England, told the BBC that Viswashkumar spoke by phone to confirm he was all right. He only said that he was fine, nothing else, Valgi said. Valgi said the family had not heard anything about his brother. We're not doing well. We're all upset, he said. Viswashkumar is married with one child, a boy, he added. The aircraft came down in a residential area of Ahmedabad, in northwestern India, crashing into a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunchtime — the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Air India posted to X, confirming the deaths of 229 passengers and all 12 crew members, with the lone survivor being treated in hospital. VideoCanadian aboard Air India crash identified (new window) VideoCrews respond to Air India crash (new window) Thomson Reuters
