Latest news with #VishwashKumarRamesh
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Air India crash survivor seat 11A: Is it really safer, worth the added cost?
Although he didn't know it at the time, when Vishwash Kumar Ramesh walked away from the blazing wreck of Air India flight 171 on June 12, 2025, he was probably the luckiest person on the planet that day. The flight he was on had just taken off from Ahmedabad in India's western state of Gujarat, yet after just a few seconds the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was in difficulty, losing power and failing to gain altitude. Less than 40 seconds after its wheels left the ground it crashed into the hostel block of a medical college. Upon impact the fuel tanks ruptured, spilling more than 100 tonnes of highly inflammable fuel from tanks which had been topped up for the long flight to the UK's Gatwick Airport. Instantly the aircraft became a flaming inferno. There was almost no chance that any of the 242 passengers and crew would escape, but miraculously, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived and walked free, burned and dazed but alive. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of the Air India crash. Credit: Siddharaj Solanki/Bloomberg How did Ramesh survive? In Ramesh's own words, part of an exclusive interview with NDTV, 'the side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building. There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out. The door must've broken on impact. There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how. I don't know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive, and I opened my seat belt and got out of there.' Ramesh was sitting in seat 11A, and SeatMaps shows that as a bulkhead seat on the port side of the aircraft. There's an emergency exit door right next to that seat, and that gave him an escape route. There's also plenty of empty space in front of that seat, and despite the force of the impact, there were no seats immediately in front that would have been likely to cause injuries in more crowded parts of the cabin. Turning to aeroLOPA, another website with diagrammatic displays of aircraft layouts, 11A is located three rows forward of the wings. The wingbox, where the wings attach to the fuselage, is a particularly robust section of the aircraft. It needs to be since it bears the weight of the wings, and this might have contributed to Ramesh's survival. Among other factors that helped Ramesh, the 40-year-old looks strong, and he was travelling alone. Although a brother was on the same flight, they weren't sitting together. That meant he wasn't inclined to look for family or friends sitting alongside. When the opportunity to escape presented itself, he moved fast.
The Age
2 hours ago
- General
- The Age
Want to sit in ‘miracle' seat 11A? It will cost you
Although he didn't know it at the time, when Vishwash Kumar Ramesh walked away from the blazing wreck of Air India flight 171 on June 12, 2025, he was probably the luckiest person on the planet that day. The flight he was on had just taken off from Ahmedabad in India's western state of Gujarat, yet after just a few seconds the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was in difficulty, losing power and failing to gain altitude. Less than 40 seconds after its wheels left the ground it crashed into the hostel block of a medical college. Upon impact the fuel tanks ruptured, spilling more than 100 tonnes of highly inflammable fuel from tanks which had been topped up for the long flight to the UK's Gatwick Airport. Instantly the aircraft became a flaming inferno. There was almost no chance that any of the 242 passengers and crew would escape, but miraculously, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived and walked free, burned and dazed but alive. How did Ramesh survive? In Ramesh's own words, part of an exclusive interview with NDTV, 'the side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building. There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out. The door must've broken on impact. There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how. I don't know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive, and I opened my seat belt and got out of there.' Ramesh was sitting in seat 11A, and SeatMaps shows that as a bulkhead seat on the port side of the aircraft. There's an emergency exit door right next to that seat, and that gave him an escape route. There's also plenty of empty space in front of that seat, and despite the force of the impact, there were no seats immediately in front that would have been likely to cause injuries in more crowded parts of the cabin. Turning to aeroLOPA, another website with diagrammatic displays of aircraft layouts, 11A is located three rows forward of the wings. The wingbox, where the wings attach to the fuselage, is a particularly robust section of the aircraft. It needs to be since it bears the weight of the wings, and this might have contributed to Ramesh's survival. Among other factors that helped Ramesh, the 40-year-old looks strong, and he was travelling alone. Although a brother was on the same flight, they weren't sitting together. That meant he wasn't inclined to look for family or friends sitting alongside. When the opportunity to escape presented itself, he moved fast.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Want to sit in ‘miracle' seat 11A? It will cost you
Although he didn't know it at the time, when Vishwash Kumar Ramesh walked away from the blazing wreck of Air India flight 171 on June 12, 2025, he was probably the luckiest person on the planet that day. The flight he was on had just taken off from Ahmedabad in India's western state of Gujarat, yet after just a few seconds the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was in difficulty, losing power and failing to gain altitude. Less than 40 seconds after its wheels left the ground it crashed into the hostel block of a medical college. Upon impact the fuel tanks ruptured, spilling more than 100 tonnes of highly inflammable fuel from tanks which had been topped up for the long flight to the UK's Gatwick Airport. Instantly the aircraft became a flaming inferno. There was almost no chance that any of the 242 passengers and crew would escape, but miraculously, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived and walked free, burned and dazed but alive. How did Ramesh survive? In Ramesh's own words, part of an exclusive interview with NDTV, 'the side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building. There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out. The door must've broken on impact. There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how. I don't know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive, and I opened my seat belt and got out of there.' Ramesh was sitting in seat 11A, and SeatMaps shows that as a bulkhead seat on the port side of the aircraft. There's an emergency exit door right next to that seat, and that gave him an escape route. There's also plenty of empty space in front of that seat, and despite the force of the impact, there were no seats immediately in front that would have been likely to cause injuries in more crowded parts of the cabin. Turning to aeroLOPA, another website with diagrammatic displays of aircraft layouts, 11A is located three rows forward of the wings. The wingbox, where the wings attach to the fuselage, is a particularly robust section of the aircraft. It needs to be since it bears the weight of the wings, and this might have contributed to Ramesh's survival. Among other factors that helped Ramesh, the 40-year-old looks strong, and he was travelling alone. Although a brother was on the same flight, they weren't sitting together. That meant he wasn't inclined to look for family or friends sitting alongside. When the opportunity to escape presented itself, he moved fast.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Air India investigators probing whether fatal flight that crashed killing 260 was 'sabotaged'
There has previously been speculation of potential sabotage, but this is the first time officials have formally acknowledged they are looking into it. Air India investigators are probing whether a tragic plane crash which killed 260 people was caused by 'sabotage'. India's Minister of State for Civil Aviation said investigators are assessing the tragic Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground earlier this month. Only one passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash on June 12, which happened shortly after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad in western India. The plane, with 52 Brits on board, was bound for London Gatwick. An investigation was immediately launched after the tragedy, and the Indian government has now revealed investigators are looking into sabotage as a possible cause. Murlidhar Mohol, the country's Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said: 'The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun a full probe. It is being assessed from all angles, including any possible sabotage.' There has previously been speculation of potential sabotage, but this is the first time officials have formally acknowledged they are looking into it as a possible cause of the crash. On Thursday, the country's civil aviation ministry said investigators had begun analysing data extracted from the black boxes of the plane. The data is crucial as it will help shed light on the cause of the crash. 'These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,' the ministry said. The probe is being carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, or AAIB, with support from the US National Transport Safety Board. Indian investigators recovered the black boxes from the wreckage site a couple of days after the crash. These boxes - which are typically orange, not black - are considered the most important pieces of forensic evidence following a plane crash. There are typically two sturdy devices, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. The black boxes were flown from Ahmedabad to the national capital, New Delhi, in an Indian Air Force aircraft amid tight security early this week. The investigation could take weeks or months. In addition to the investigation, the Indian government has also set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and formulate procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future. The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months. The Air India Flight 171 disaster is the most deadly aviation incident involving British nationals since 9/11. Addressing what happened before the incident, sole survivor Mr Ramesh said: "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." Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner to prevent future incidents. The airline has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet. Inspection has been completed for at least 26, while four were undergoing long-term maintenance. The rest were expected to finish the safety checks soon.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Air India investigators probing whether deadly plane crash was 'sabotage'
India's Minister of State for Civil Aviation said investigators are assessing whether the tragic Air India plane crash, which killed 260 people, might have been 'sabotage' Air India investigators are probing whether the tragic plane crash that killed 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground earlier this month could have been caused by sabotage. Only one passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash on June 12, which happened shortly after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad in western India. The plane, with 52 Brits on board, was bound for London Gatwick. An investigation was immediately launched after the tragedy - and the Indian government has now revealed investigators are looking into sabotage as a possible cause. Murlidhar Mohol, the country's Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said: "The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has begun a full probe. It is being assessed from all angles, including any possible sabotage." There has previously been speculation of potential sabotage, but this is the first time officials have formally acknowledged they are looking into it as a possible cause of the crash. On Thursday, the country's civil aviation ministry said investigators had begun analysing data extracted from the black boxes of the plane. The data is crucial as it will help shed light on the cause of the crash. "These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the accident and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences," the ministry said. The probe is being carried out by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, or AAIB, with support from the US National Transport Safety Board. Indian investigators recovered the black boxes from the wreckage site a couple of days after the crash. These boxes - which are typically orange, not black - are considered the most important pieces of forensic evidence following a plane crash. There are typically two sturdy devices, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. The black boxes were flown from Ahmedabad to the national capital, New Delhi, in an Indian Air Force aircraft amid tight security early this week. The investigation could take weeks or months. In addition to the investigation, the Indian government has also set up a separate, high-level committee to examine the causes leading to the crash and formulate procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future. The committee is expected to file a preliminary report within three months. Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner to prevent future incidents. The airline has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet. Inspection has been completed for at least 26, while four were undergoing long-term maintenance. The rest were expected to finish the safety checks soon.
