Thai actor-singer Ruangsak Loychusak, a survivor of a 1998 airplane crash, shared a chilling coincidence: the lone survivor of the latest Air India crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated in the identical seat 11A as Ruangsak throughout his personal near-death expertise 27 years in the past.
Thai actor-singer Ruangsak Loychusak, who survived the Thai Airways Flight TG261 crash in 1998, has shared a haunting coincidence. He found that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only real survivor of the latest Air India crash in Ahmedabad, additionally occupied seat 11A—the precise seat Ruangsak held throughout his personal crash 27 years in the past.
Ruangsak, now 47, posted on Fb in Thai recalling the crash, “The survivor of the airplane crash in India sat in the identical seat quantity as me — 11A.#Goosebumps.”
Terror on each flights, just one survivor in 11A
On December 11, 1998, Flight TG261 stalled and crashed right into a swamp in southern Thailand, killing 101 of the 146 onboard. The Thai star survived—however for years afterward, he suffered from deep psychological trauma and prevented flying.
In the same inexplicable flip of destiny, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian nationwide, was the only real survivor of Air India Flight AI 171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, leaving 241 useless. A number of sources affirm his ticket seat as 11A, situated subsequent to an emergency exit.
Aviation consultants reviewing footage and crash evaluation consider emergency exit seats, like 11A, provide structural benefits that improve survivability. The wing field area provides added safety, and open area in entrance facilitates evacuation. Ramesh escaped by a damaged door, quickly unbuckling himself and strolling away from the wreckage with burns and bruises.
Public fascination sparks ‘11A enigma’
The shared seat location has captivated world audiences. Termed the “11A enigma,” the story has led to a spike in demand for emergency exit seats, particularly 11A, regardless of consultants cautioning that these seats are usually not safer in all crash situations. Social media customers and travellers throughout India and overseas are actually particularly reserving row 11 emergency exits—impressed by this extraordinary surviving streak.
Survivor speaks; trauma echoes throughout generations
Ramesh, nonetheless hospitalised in Ahmedabad, informed DD Information and different media shops what unfolded within the chaos, “For a while I assumed I used to be additionally going to die. However after I opened my eyes, I noticed I used to be alive… I unbuckled myself and tried to get out.”
In the meantime, Ruangsak spoke of his personal lasting scars: “I had problem flying for 10 years… If I noticed darkish clouds… I might really feel horrible, like I used to be in hell”.
A shared second life, A shared message
Each survivors view their experiences as a second probability. Ruangsak, usually dubbed the “Iron Bones Singer,” prolonged his condolences to the households of the Air India crash victims. Ramesh, shaken however alive, continues to get well and expresses gratitude for his rescue as investigations into the crash progress.
This story of survival, trauma, and uncanny coincidence echoes far past two particular person flights invoking questions on destiny, flight security, and what it means to outlive such a lethal tragedy.