Sunday 15 / June / 2025
Muscat: A striking coincidence has emerged from two unrelated plane crashes decades apart: In both cases, the only survivors were seated in seat 11A.
In 1998, Thai singer Ruangsak Loychusak survived the crash of Thai Airways Flight TG261 while seated in 11A. The flight went down in southern Thailand, killing 101 of the 146 passengers and crew. Loychusak, then 20, sustained severe injuries, including spinal trauma and brain haemorrhaging, and later developed aerophobia, a fear of flying.
More than two decades later, on 12 June 2025, Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was also seated in 11A — a window seat near an emergency exit. Despite multiple injuries, he was able to walk away from the wreckage.
The coincidence has drawn global attention and sparked debate online, with some calling it a miracle and others noting the statistical anomaly. While seat 11A is located near the emergency exit on many aircraft, aviation experts caution that no seat guarantees survival in a crash.
The two incidents occurred in different decades, countries, under different circumstances, and involved different aircraft. Yet, the shared detail has fuelled speculation and fascination, highlighting the unpredictable nature of air travel and survival.
