‘Miracle' Air India survivor haunted by nightmares and guilt

Arab Times

6 days ago

LONDON, July 20: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the devastating Air India Flight AI171 crash, is struggling to cope with the psychological aftermath of the tragedy that claimed 241 lives, including that of his brother. His family says he suffers recurring nightmares in which he relives the moment of impact and sees 'everyone die.'
Ramesh, 40, a British citizen seated in 11A during the ill-fated flight, escaped with cuts to his face and minor chest injuries. Despite the physical recovery, he remains deeply tormented, carrying what relatives describe as an overwhelming sense of survivor's guilt.
Dubbed the 'miracle man' and 'God's child' by Indian media, Ramesh has become a symbol of hope. However, his recovery has been overshadowed by grief. His cousin Krunal Keshave, 24, from Leicester, shared: 'He sleeps but not properly. When he does, he dreams he's on the flight again—he saw everyone die in front of him.'
The crash, which occurred when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad and burst into flames upon hitting a residential building, killed 241 of the 242 people on board, including 52 British nationals. Ramesh's brother, Ajay, 35, was among the victims.
The brothers had been running a fishing business in Diu, India, returning to the UK during the off-season. Ramesh, still visibly shaken, told The Sun: 'It's a miracle I survived. I'm OK physically, but I feel terrible that I couldn't save Ajay.'
The two had tried booking seats together but were forced to sit separately in row 11. 'If we had sat together, maybe we both would've survived,' Ramesh said. 'But I lost my brother right in front of my eyes. I keep thinking—why couldn't I save him?'
Ramesh was seated near an emergency exit and managed to crawl through a gap in the wrecked fuselage. He even tried to re-enter the burning wreckage to save Ajay. Emergency responder Satinder Singh Sandhu recounted: 'He was disoriented and covered in blood. He kept telling us, 'My brother is in there, burning—I have to save him.''
Ramesh later carried his brother's coffin during the funeral in Gujarat, where he broke down in tears and had to be escorted away.
One relative said, 'He feels guilty for being the only one who lived. That's a lot to carry.'
Evaluation of the crash has since shifted focus to possible human error in the cockpit. A preliminary investigation suggests that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, may have inadvertently triggered engine failure by switching off two key fuel-related switches, despite his calm demeanor during the incident. First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, who was piloting the aircraft at the time, reportedly panicked as the engines lost power.
According to sources familiar with the U.S. probe, the cockpit voice recorder captured a brief exchange in which one pilot questioned the other's actions regarding the switches, with both denying responsibility. The switches were flipped off a second apart, then reactivated ten seconds later—too late to avert disaster.
Air India, in a statement, said it 'stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident' and pledged full cooperation with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and other authorities involved in the investigation.
As the probe continues, Ramesh remains a living reminder of the human cost of the tragedy—a man burdened not only by survival but by the haunting loss of his brother and the lives of hundreds more.