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Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Experts reveal if seat 11A is really a 'miracle' spot where you're likely to survive crash after Air India horror
A British man sitting in seat 11A survived the fatal Air India Flight 171 to the awes of the world as many said it was an un-survivable flight. Now, experts have discussed whether such 'miracle seats' that can survive a plane crash actually exist. When Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, emerged from the wreckage of the Air India flight alive on Thursday, the world declared it a miracle as the other 241 passengers tragically perished. 'I don't know how I came out of it alive', Ramesh, who was traveling with his brother from India to London, said from his hospital bed. His boarding pass, which he managed to take with him, showed he was sitting in seat 11A, which has since been dubbed the miracle seat following the gruesome crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Several factors, including his seat position, could have played into his miraculous survival, experts said. Ramesh was sitting in a window seat in the emergency exit row, meaning he had the easiest access to get off the plane the fastest. 'I do think it had something to do with it,' Ella Atkins, the head of the Crofton Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, told calling his survival an 'extraordinary miracle.' 'He happened to be ejected in a way that didn't kill him.' The 58-year-old Virginian, who has been an engineer since 1988, said one's placement inside an aircraft 'absolutely' matters when it comes to surviving a horrific crash, such as Ramesh did. However, it's nearly impossible for passengers to preselect a seat that's going to save them as a plane can crash in so many different ways, the aerospace engineer said. Unsurprisingly, for frontal impacts, it's safest to be in the back of the plane. For tail impacts, the front. For a fuselage problem, the middle is the most dangerous spot as that's where the fuel is located. If the plane nosedives into the ground, crashes while upside down or lands in the middle of the ocean, the likelihood of a 'miracle seat' saving you from death diminishes to near zero. Without having some magical foresight, passengers cannot predetermine the exact seat that has the highest potential of saving their lives. 'I'm not going out [of my way] to ask for 11A after this,' Atkin, a frequent flyer, said. 'If I had to choose a place not to sit, it'd be first class.' However, that doesn't stop the professor from snagging the upgrade every time Delta offers it to her because air travel continues to be exceptionally safe. The logic about economy being safer centers on the fact that most plane crashes are frontal impacts - with business and first class seats usually situated at the front of the cabin. 'Any aircraft can crash like any car can,' she told 'I don't think there's a miracle seat... Every accident is so unique.' For a December 2024 Jeju Air flight, a 737 plane that slammed into a concrete barrier and burst into flames, the 'miracle seats' happened to be crew spots at the back of the plane - quite far from the general location Ramesh's seat would have been on that flight. A 737 is a small plane with a single aisle with two rows, while a 787 has a dual aisle and three rows of seating. Some experts say this can make a difference in some crashes. In the instance of a water landing, you're more likely to find a miracle seat on a single aisle aircraft because their fuselages are slightly more rigid and less likely to tear apart on impact. One prime example is the 2009 'Miracle on the Hudson' crash, when an Airbus A320 crash landed on the Hudson River fully intact after a bird strike caued engine failure. All 78 aboard survived. However, the size of the aircraft doesn't matter when it comes to commercial flights, Atkin said, as they 'tend to be extremely safe' and are 'painstakingly designed and tested.' The chance of survival doesn't necessarily change based on the size for commercial planes. However, single-engine planes, like Cessnas, have a much higher crash rate. 'It's clear in this case that something went wrong,' Atkins said of the Air India flight. Atkins believes 'both engines failed for this to happen' and said that's an 'extremely rare' occurrence. She reminds nervous flyers to 'keep in mind all those flights' that land each and every day. University of Greenwich Professor, Ed Galea, agreed that Ramesh's location in the emergency exit more than likely had something to do with his survival. 'He's got the seat as close as you could possibly be to an emergency exit. You can't be any closer,' Galea told The Telegraph. 'It's right on his side and he's actually in the A seat, which is the window seat. You could reach up and touch the door, you're that close to it.' Ramesh was sitting in a window seat in the emergency exit row. 'He's got the seat as close as you could possibly be to an emergency exit. You can't be any closer,' University of Greenwich Professor, Ed Galea (pictured), said Another reason that could have factored into Ramesh's survival is the fact that his seat is located near the wing of the plane. The 'wing box' is the most fortified place on the aircraft. 'That's the strongest part of the aircraft because there's the most structure there,' Galea told the outlet. 'And I believe seat 11A is just at the front of that very strong part of the aircraft. That may have been a factor.' Also, sitting in the emergency exit rows carry the highest chance of survival during an life-threatening situation as passengers have the fastest exit. '[It] greatly increases the chance of survival when there is a fire,' University of York Professor John McDermid told The Telegraph. However, both professors also believe the main thing that saved Ramesh was simply luck. 'He also had a lot of good fortune,' Galea said. 'Because why did he survive and 11B sitting right next to him didn't, or 11C or 12A?' Ironically, an American Airlines employee told The Sun in December that row 11 was the worst to sit in for impatient travelers. Specifically, seats 11A and 11F were cited as horrible seats as it can make exiting the plane slower. 'If you're looking for a quick exit, avoid row 11 at all costs,' the unidentified flight attendant told the outlet. 'Being in the middle row, especially in a window seat, which tends to be either A or F, almost guarantees you'll be one of the last off the plane.' The flight attendant did not specify which aircrafts this involved, as seating charts vary by design. Another reason, seat 11A can be a bad spot to pick is do to some aircrafts, such as a Boeing 737 - which is not the same as the Air India flight - not having a window due to the air conditioning system being there, a Flight Radar expert told Unilad Tech. Ramesh is being treated at a hospital in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, where he told doctors that immediately after the plane took off, it began descending and suddenly split in two. Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined Ramesh, told the Associated Press that he was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body' but that he 'seems to be out of danger.' Speaking to Indian broadcaster Doordarshan, Ramesh recounted his horrific ordeal, and spoke of how he witnessed two air hostesses die 'in front of my eyes.' '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 seatbelt and got out of there,' he said. His seat was placed right next to the emergency door, which he says came off when the plane hit the ground. 'The side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building,' Ramesh recounted. 'There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out.' 'The door must've broken on impact,' he said. 'There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how.' When the plane hit the ground yesterday, seat 11A, where Ramesh was sat, collapsed into the ground floor of the building, instead of the upper levels where the jet's main body was badly destroyed. Ramesh also described how just moments after take-off, it 'felt like the plane had got stuck.' He recalled how the pilots tried to raise the jet, but it 'went full speed and crashed into the building'. Ramesh explained how the plane quickly caught fire following the crash, and said he burned his arm. Astonishing footage taken near the crash site yesterday showed Ramesh with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to hospital for treatment. Ramesh, whose brother was also on the flight and is presumed dead, described yesterday how he heard a 'a loud noise' before the plane crashed. '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.' The Indian government has launched an investigation into the fatal crash of the London-bound plane that came down in a residential area of Ahmedabad. Officials said most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Treorchy residents celebrate as neighbour's Cwmparc gate removed
Residents have been left "elated" after a neighbour's security gate, which previously blocked access to a foresty, has been removed. The gate, which prevented entry to Cwmparc forest, was erected in February and stirred a passionate campaign in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf - including a peaceful protest and petition with 4,284 signatures calling for its homeowners previously said the gates were for their safety but they were found to obstruct the highway, the council said, so a legal order was issued in April for the gates to be taken Clarke, campaign leader, said he was absolutely delighted to see the gates removed so the community can "get back what they missed". "I have had hundreds of congratulatory messages, we have all had congratulatory messages," said Mr Clarke."When we started it we didn't know what we would be up against," he said, adding that "so many people" were now relieved."Protecting the highway is a statutory requirement, the public must always have access to the highway. It shows that in the end justice has prevailed."Mr Clarke said the whole process took four months to get to enforcement action, with hundreds of banners, posters and stickers put up around the town in notice served to the homeowners by the council expired on 8 June, but the gates remained. The family living in the gated property moved to Cwmparc over a year ago, and previously said their private entrance had been abused in a way which they felt left them with no choice and were working on an alternative route. "When the council didn't take immediate action, we were on an ice edge," Mr Clarke said. "We realised we needed to do something, so many of the Gate Gate campaigners emailed Andrew Morgan asking for something to be done."On Thursday, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council Andrew Morgan issued a statement which said the access arrangements put in place by the homeowners "did not fulfil the legal order for the gates to be removed". He said the homeowners had the weekend to fulfil the legal order, and that the council would dispatch contractors to remove them should they not be removed within that time. Mr Clarke said he had been up to the site on Friday, after the gates were removed that morning, and he met many "very very happy" locals. "It is amazing to see what a difference this campaign has made to people's lives. "One woman had tears in her eyes," he said, adding another went to see the trees she planted in memory of her husband and brother. Mr Clarke added behind every campaign was a good group of people, and thanked campaigners for their unwavering effort. He said he wanted to extend the same community spirit to the homeowners, and he never wished them ill."They may have chose to do something we disagree with, but they should now be left in peace," he added. Speaking of what it means going forward, Mr Clarke said the school holidays were a crucial point for the community. "For the first time in over 100 days, children can go there, it's just at the end of the street. "I said I wouldn't celebrate until after the gates were down, I have come to Hot Gossip cafe and they have given me a free cappuccino. "I don't do it for reward, but this in itself is worth it," he said. "I don't know what I will do now actually, this has taken up every minute of my time for the last four months."
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Guernsey: Early years educators complete SEND course
Nine early years educators from Guernsey have completed an internationally recognised early years additional learning needs coordinators have been presented with the CACHE Level 3 award for special educational needs and disabilities training, which was fully funded by the States, is an Ofqual-regulated qualification enabling professionals to identify and support children aged 0-5 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).Course tutor Anne-Marie Grinsell said: "I am so proud of these Early Years Educators, who have committed to this professional development whilst continuing to work." 'Togetherness' "They have worked hard, and you can see how much they have grown in confidence in their roles," she Sharp, Head of Early Years, said: "They should be quite rightly very proud of themselves for this fantastic achievement. "I have noticed how supportive they are of one another and how much this course has fostered a sense of togetherness, sharing and supporting one another in their roles."The course was delivered over 12 qualification was awarded to Early Years professionals from establishments including Little Bears Nature Nursery, Elizabeth College Preschool, Woodlands Nursery and Little Rays of Sunshine Nursery.
