British dad booked on Air India plane crash survivor's seat 11A speaks out on tragedy
A dad who was due to travel back to the United Kingdom on the doomed Air India flight has told how a last minute change of plans saved his life.
Owen Jackson changed his plans at the last minute, before the jet went down in a fireball crash which killed 241 of the 242 people on board the aircraft.
The only survivor was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was sitting in seat 11A. And when Owen was booked onto the Saturday flight to return home, he was given the same seat.
He had been in India on a work trip and were deciding whether to fly back on Thursday or Saturday. In the end his colleagues said to take the Saturday flight.
They delayed their return as the job would take a bit longer than originally planned. Thursday's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft had been bound for London's Gatwick Airport.
It was carrying 242 passengers and crew members when it crashed minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Right before losing signal, the aircraft sent a "mayday" message to colleagues on the ground, alerting them to an emergency situation.
The Dreamliner crashed directly into a dining room at B J Medical College, in a residential area of Ahmedabad, western India, while medical students were sitting down for their lunch.
However, in a turn of events deemed miraculous by some, passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to escape the horror ordeal, surviving with "impact injuries" on his chest, eyes and feet.
The 31-year-old, from Saffron Walden in Essex, told The Sun: "It's a shock. I'm more grateful than anything else - it is such a weird coincidence.
"You hear it every now and again about planes going down and you don't really think much of it, but when it's the actual aircraft you're potentially getting on two days later, it does make you think.
"My main emotion on the whole thing is I'm quite grateful for the fact that I made that decision when I did.' When news first broke of the crash, Owen had not told his family back home which day he was due to fly back on.
Wife Phillipa, 30, spent two hours unsure whether her husband had perished in the crash. Phillipa said: 'It was surreal. It was like being in a dream, but not actually just hoping to wake up, but pinching yourself over and over again and not waking up."
Owen said: 'I hadn't checked my phone two hours after it happened, after the news broke. I probably was one of the last people to find out about it, funnily enough, because I was in meetings exactly when the news was breaking.
Families who have lost loved ones in the Air India Flight 171 catastrophe will be offered £86,000, as pledged by Air India owners the Tata Group.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Grieving for our parents killed in Air India crash will never end'
"I started my grieving last Thursday, when we finally brought them home."Miten Patel's mother and father Ashok and Shobna Patel died on the Gatwick-bound Air India aeroplane crash in couple were travelling home to visit their sons and grandchildren on 12 June, when the plane crashed in Ahmedabad, western India, killing all but one of those on Sunday, Mr Patel organised a service at the Sattavis Patidar Centre in Wembley to remember and pray for the victims, which also included Sunny and Monali Patel, from south Norwood. "That's when it hit me. I think it's going to be a long process to grieve. Grieving will never end - they're our life," he said. There were 242 passengers and crew on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one the crash, the victims' remains were identified by the Indian authorities, however Mr Patel discovered "other remains" were in his mother's casket when her body was returned to the thanked the doctors involved for their support in the re-identification of his mother's remains."We have now 100% confirmed that we have cremated mum and dad, as mum and dad. It was a long process but it was definitely a necessary one."The family were also able to recover his father's ring, which he was wearing when the plane crashed. Mr Patel's family prepared a slideshow of photos of his parents throughout their life for the memorial. He described his parents as respected members of the community who were deeply missed. "They were the most wonderful parents that any child could ask for. They were caring, loving, supportive every step of the way," he said his parents would have been amazed at the gathering of people who came to pay their respects."The community at large has really supported us at this tragic time and I am grateful to every single one of those people," he added. At least 130 people attended the memorial including family, friends and people who knew other crash victims in Patel, trustee of the Sattavis Patidar Centre, said the community knew many of the Gujarati victims of the crash, some of whom were living in the UK and others who lived in India. "It is our duty as a trustee to organise and bring people together," he said. "For our community, it is a very sad day. We want to remember all of them, because this is the saddest thing that happened."
Daily Record
20 hours ago
- Daily Record
Huge fire at St Mungo's Cumbernauld as fire crews race to church blaze
Fire crews were called to the scene after the inferno broke out at St Mungo's Trinity Parish at around 7.30pm on Saturday. A huge blaze has broken out at a church in Cumbernauld. Fire crews were called to the scene after the inferno broke out at St Mungo's Trinity Parish at around 7.30pm on Saturday. In footage which has been shared with the Record flames can be seen ripping through the iconic B-listed local landmark, which is situated on St Mungo's Road in the town. Plumes of black smoke can be seen filling the sky. Shocked locals can be seen watching on as firefighters tackle the blaze. Eight fire appliances were dispatched to the scene and crews are still in attendance. Local councillor Adam Smith said: "Sadly this evening St Mungo's Church appears to have been destroyed by fire. Emergency services have been in attendance for some time, including the ambulance service incident response unit, and what remains of the building is still on fire. "There is significant smoke coming from the site, blowing in the direction of Carbrain, and those living nearby should keep doors and windows closed. St Mungo's Road is currently closed and emergency services will be in attendance for some time. "The B-listed building was constructed in 1963 and is under the ownership of the Church of Scotland. Please avoid the area while the fire is ongoing." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Get shower screen sparkling in minutes with little-known product that's better than vinegar
Achieving that perfect streak-free shine on your shower glass can be difficult, but one specific product could be just the thing you need. Cleaning the shower screen in your bathroom can be a tough task. And when you finally get it sparkling, it can be just as hard to keep it stain-free. Shampoo, soap, and even water can quickly cling to the screen, making it a grubby mess all over again. Most believe that white vinegar is the ideal product to banish the stains; however, experts say there's another, lesser-known product that works quicker and even better. The hack, which was shared by consumer experts at Which?, on TikTok, shows a dirty shower screen being cleaned. Speaking over the video, the experts said: "Spraying it with vinegar will be effective, but citric acid is even better. It's stronger than vinegar, and brilliant at fighting limescale." All you need to do is mix a couple of spoonfuls of citric acid with hot water in a spray bottle, and apply it liberally all over your dirty shower screen. Then, leave it for a couple of minutes, as this will help the mixture to really seep into the limescale marks. Once you've done that, use a non-scratch sponge to scrub the glass clean, before spritzing with the mixture again and using a squeegee to wipe it off afterwards. But if you don't have a squeegee to hand, don't worry - you can use a microfibre cloth instead for the same effect. You can buy a tub of citric acid from Asda for as little as £1.75, and this is enough to do multiple cleaning jobs. In the video's comments, several people suggested their own tried-and-tested methods for keeping the shower clean. One person said: "Try using 5% of washing up liquid and 5% of cleaning white vinegar in a spray bottle, top it up with water. This helps to maintain the shower after use." Another suggested: "Just squeegee the screen every time you shower, that way there are never water droplets to dry and form [lime]scale." Mrs Hinch fans also recently shared a 'brilliant' cleaning item you can buy from Tesco that 'removes water marks' from shower screens and is 'effortless' to use. You may already have the handy tool at home, as it can be used for a number of different household cleaning tasks. But if you don't, they often cost less than £2 and can be picked up from most supermarkets. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The cleaning gurus' fans urged people to avoid harsh bathroom chemicals and use a £1.50 Dishmatic to get rid of streaks and soap scum. In the 'Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips' Facebook group, Dawn Allison asked: "Best thing to clean shower screen, please? " In response, many people suggested the handy washing-up tool with an attached sponge. Lisa Harris shared a tip: "Mix equal parts of Fairy Liquid and white vinegar in a Dishmatic. Rinse and dry. Removes built-up water marks and soap scum from your shower screen. It makes cleaning effortless." Lynney Jack also said: "Viakal and then scrub side with Dishmatic. Leave on for 20 minutes then rinse off. Use a squeegee every time and no need to clean! ".
