Vishwash Kumar Ramesh beat impossible odds from seat 11A. The Air India crash killed all but one of its 242 passengers and crew members aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Ramesh emerged as the sole survivor while 241 people died in the aircraft and 5 more lost their lives on the ground.
The Air India flight AI171 crashed into a medical college hostel during lunch hour near Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, India. Survivor accounts and the London Express newspaper reported that the aircraft seemed “stuck in the air” right after takeoff. The plane had accumulated over 41,000 flying hours before this catastrophic crash. Most victims were Indian nationals (169), followed by British citizens (53), Portuguese nationals (7) and one Canadian. Ramesh’s survival can be attributed to his seat’s location next to an emergency exit. This tragic incident marks the deadliest aviation disaster in more than ten years and the first crash of a Boeing 787 since it began operations in 2011.
Vishwash escapes death as plane crashes into building
Image Source: Reuters
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m. local time. Passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh quickly sensed something was terribly wrong. “Within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air,” he recalled.
The aircraft’s data showed it barely reached 625 feet before plummeting at 475 feet per minute. Vishwash recounted the frightening sequence: “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”.
Vishwash’s survival hinged on his seat assignment – 11A, right next to an emergency exit. His section of the aircraft stayed at ground level, while the rest of the plane crashed onto the medical college hostel’s roof.
“At first, I thought I was dead,” Vishwash said. “Later, I realized 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”.
The aftermath was devastating. “I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me… 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”.
Police confirmed Vishwash’s escape through a broken emergency hatch. Post-crash footage showed him bloodied and limping toward an ambulance. “I can’t believe how I came out of it alive,” he said. “For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too but when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realized I was alive. I still can’t believe how I survived”.
Investigators later found that almost 70% of passengers remained in their seats with their seatbelts fastened.
Survivor jumps from seat 11A to safety
Image Source: Newsweek
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh’s seat 11A next to the emergency exit played a significant role in his miraculous escape. Police officials confirmed that the 40-year-old British national of Indian origin “managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door”.
Indian news outlets shared Ramesh’s boarding pass photos, which showed his seat 11A positioned in the emergency exit row right before the plane’s left wing. This location became his pathway to survival as the aircraft broke apart on impact.
“The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground floor of the building, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft,” Ramesh said. “When my door broke, I tried to escape through it and I did”. He went on to explain, “The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there”.
Footage after the crash showed Ramesh walking with a limp on the street, his T-shirt stained with blood and his face covered in bruises. “I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out. I don’t know how I survived,” he recounted.
Medical staff at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital placed Ramesh in bed 11 of Ward B7 and monitored him continuously. Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery, assured reporters: “He has some blood in the images, but he’s not very badly injured. He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues”.
Ramesh’s brother Ajay traveled on the same flight. “He was traveling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” Ramesh told the Hindustan Times.
British MP Shivani Raja called Ramesh’s survival “nothing short of a miracle,” and added: “One of his brothers was also on that flight who sadly didn’t survive”.
“I walked out of the crash site with only burn injuries on my left arm,” Ramesh stated. He made three quick phone calls before heading to the hospital. His cousin shared, “He kept crying and asking for Ajay. He has head injuries, burns, but somehow walked out of that wreckage”.
Officials respond as investigation begins
Image Source: Yahoo
PM Modi rushed to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after the devastating crash to meet Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was all but one of the passengers to survive. He called the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words” and offered his condolences to the grieving families. The scene of devastation at the crash site left him saddened when he visited later.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India has started a complete investigation into this first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. A team of technical experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, along with representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, and GE Aviation. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also sent representatives to help.
Boeing’s President and CEO Kelly Ortberg sent his “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families. He spoke directly with Air India’s Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to promise full support. “A Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau,” Ortberg stated.
The Tata Group, Air India’s owner, will give ₹1 crore (approximately £86,000) to each victim’s family. The company will also pay medical expenses for the injured and help rebuild the damaged BJ Medical College hostel.
Life Insurance Corporation of India has simplified documentation for crash victims’ policy claims. The insurer will now accept government records or compensation evidence instead of death certificates.
Aviation experts remain careful about guessing the causes. In spite of that, post-crash footage hints at problems with the plane’s flaps, which help create lift. Some point to possible engine failure, while one expert noted: “It could be a combination of things — and it usually is”.
Conclusion
The Aftermath and Moving Forward
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh’s survival stands out as a rare exception in this overwhelming tragedy. The devastating crash took 246 lives, yet he managed to escape through seat 11A’s emergency exit – something that defies explanation. Doctors keep watching his condition as he deals with physical injuries and the emotional trauma of losing his brother Ajay.
Aviation authorities from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom have started detailed investigations. This marks the first fatal Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash since the aircraft started flying in 2011. These experts will get into every aspect of the disaster, from possible mechanical failures to human factors.
The affected families face a difficult road ahead. The Tata Group, Air India’s parent company, has stepped in with practical help by offering ₹1 crore to each victim’s family. Life Insurance Corporation of India also showed understanding of these unusual circumstances by relaxing their documentation requirements.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the crash site and Vishwash in hospital shows how deeply this catastrophe has affected the nation. While technical investigations might explain the crash, they can’t lessen its human toll.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh’s survival serves as a powerful reminder of how fragile and unpredictable life can be. His words – “I can’t believe how I came out of it alive” – will help us understand what happened on flight AI171. Many questions about this devastating event remain unanswered. It changed hundreds of lives in moments and will be remembered as one of aviation’s darkest days.