after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, the world mourned a horrifying tragedy. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, went down in a fiery crash that took the lives of 279 people—passengers, crew, and residents on the ground.
But amidst the destruction, one man emerged from the wreckage. One seat survived the unimaginable.
That Seat? 11A.
The Man Who Walked Away
The sole survivor, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, had been traveling alone, seated in 11A—a window seat located directly behind one of the aircraft’s emergency exits. According to reports, after the crash, the section of the fuselage near the exit door had broken open. Through this narrow space, Ramesh managed to pull himself out before the flames took over.
He was later seen limping toward help, covered in burns and bruises, but alive. In a crash that took hundreds of lives, his survival felt nothing short of miraculous.
Déjà Vu from 1998
As news of Ramesh’s story spread, something unexpected surfaced: another man had once survived a deadly crash—in the same seat number.
Back in 1998, Thai singer-actor James “Ruangsak” Loychusak survived a crash in Surat Thani while seated in—you guessed it—11A. That flight, operated by Thai Airways, also ended in disaster, killing over a hundred people. Just like Ramesh, Loychusak had been near an emergency exit and found himself in a small group of survivors.
Two decades apart. Two completely different crashes. And two men who happened to be sitting in 11A when everything else around them fell apart.
Is There Something Special About Seat 11A?
Naturally, the internet lit up with theories. Could seat 11A really be safer than the rest? Or is it all just chilling coincidence?
Here’s what aviation safety research tells us: passengers seated near emergency exits do have higher survival odds in many types of crashes. Being close to an exit often means you can escape faster—especially in a fire, where seconds matter.
In both the 2025 and 1998 crashes, the aircraft broke near the exits. That structural damage, combined with the proximity of the survivors to the door, gave them a narrow window of escape. It’s not magic—it’s mechanics.
But it’s also luck. In a different type of crash—say, one involving the tail or midsection—those same seats might have been the most dangerous.
While major crashes are incredibly rare, here are a few ways to boost your chances in an emergency:
Choose a seat near the emergency exits
Pay attention to the safety briefing—even if you fly often Count the number of rows to the nearest exit, just in case In both 1998 and 2025, seat 11A offered a way out. Whether it’s luck, timing, or seat placement, these stories highlight how small details—and fast decisions—can change everything.
So, is 11A truly the safest seat on a plane? Probably not always. But if you’re looking for peace of mind when flying, sitting close to an exit might just be your smartest move.