Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: Worst seat rechristened as Miracle Seat 11A after Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survives
June 12, 2025 will go down as one of the darkest days of this year in the pages of history. On this day, 30 seconds after departure, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed to London crashed into the hostel of Ahmedabad's BJ Medical College. This tragic accident took the lives of 241 people onboard, including 12 crew members, apart from 28 people on the ground who were killed. The lone survivor was a passenger named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated on Seat 11A — famously known as the worst seat on the flight. Well, it has now been rechristened as the Miracle Seat. But why was it the most hated seat on the plane?
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40-year-old British national of Indian origin, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was seated in seat 11A, on his way to London. He was the only passenger who managed to escape. Ramesh sustained multiple injuries and is currently admitted to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Though a window seat, 11A is situated right in the middle of the plane, just behind the business class and has no view because the window is small or in some cases non-existent. The passengers on this row are reportedly the last to deboard the plane after it lands. Moreover, according to reports, this particular seat is subject to noise, foot traffic, or colder drafts. These are reasons why passengers often avoid sitting here.
11A, which is now being called the Miracle Seat, is right next to the emergency door. It reportedly came off when the plane struck the hostel, saving Ramesh. Talking to Doordarshan, the lone survivor shared, '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. The airhostess and aunty uncle all died before my eyes.'
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