11A: Air India survivor, Thai singer both spared from same seat number

Mr Ruangsak Loychusak (left) and Mr Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived separate plane crashes in 1998 and 2025, respectively, while seated in the same 11A.PHOTOS: JAMESRUANGSAK/FACEBOOK, AFP

When Thai actor-singer Ruangsak Loychusak saw news of the June 12 Air India plane crash, one detail sent chills down his spine. The sole survivor was in seat 11A – the same seat number as Mr Ruangsak’s when he survived a deadly crash nearly 27 years ago.

“Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A,” Mr Ruangsak wrote on Facebook of the coincidence that has now captivated the internet.

Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12. Of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, only one – Mr Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national – survived.

READ: More than 200 dead as Air India plane crashes after takeoff in Ahmedabad

Thrown from the aircraft during impact, the 40-year-old suffered multiple injuries but managed to walk away from the wreckage and into a waiting ambulance.

Speaking from hospital, Mr Vishwash told Indian media: “For some time, I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could.”

Back in December 1998, Mr Ruangsak was just 20 when Thai Airways Flight TG261 crashed while trying to land in Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand.

The aircraft plunged into a swamp, killing 101 of the 146 people on board.

Mr Ruangsak survived and, over the years, has spoken publicly about the trauma and survivor’s guilt he carried. He reportedly refused to fly for nearly a decade, calling the life he has lived since a “second life”.

READ: Lone survivor of Air India crash sparks interest in other sole survivors

Now, with two survivors linked by the same seat number, interest in seat 11A has exploded online.

But experts warn that there is no such thing as a universally “safest seat”.

‘Impossible to predict survivability based on seat’

While Mr Viswash’s position beside a functioning emergency exit proved critical, that will not always be the case, experts say.

“Each accident is different, and it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location,” said Mr Mitchell Fox, director at the US-based Flight Safety Foundation.

Aircraft layouts vary widely, and what is considered a good position in one configuration might not be in another.

Said Mr Ron Bartsch, chairman of Sydney-based AvLaw Aviation Consulting: “In this particular instance, because the passenger was sitting adjacent to the emergency exit, this was obviously the safest seat on the day.

“But it’s not always 11A, it’s just 11A on this configuration of the Boeing 787.”

Aviation safety experts remind passengers that survival often depends less on luck and more on preparedness.

Listening to the safety briefing, identifying your nearest exit and following crew instructions without delay can significantly improve your chances.

It may be tempting to view 11A as a miracle seat. But in the world of aviation safety, every crash is different – and survival comes down to far more than a number, experts note. /dl

Map: STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICSSource: REUTERS, AFP