Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: World News, News, Air India
Rhiannon Ingle
An aviation expert has explained why he thinks that the man who was sat in seat 11A was the only passenger to survive the devastating Air India crash, which took place Thursday morning (12 June).
The crash tragically killed 241 of the 242 people on board, leaving British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh as the sole survivor.
Shortly after the crash, which took place just moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad, western India, Ramesh spoke to the Hindustan Times about the moment the plane went down, claiming to have heard a 'loud noise' around 30 seconds after the plane, which was headed to London's Gatwick Airport, left the ground.
"It all happened so quickly," he recalled, revealing he'd sustained 'impact injuries' on his chest, eyes and feet.
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"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," he continued. "There were pieces of the plane all around me.
"Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."
His family also spoke about Ramesh's ordeal, with his brother in Leicester telling the BBC that he had 'no idea' how he escaped the plane.
Ramesh has since spoken to press again today (13 June) - as per Metro - providing further detail about the moment the plane plummeted.
"When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air," he went on to explain. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there."
Reflecting on his survival, Ramesh went on to recall: "When I saw the exit, I thought I could come out. I tried, and I did.
"Maybe the people who were on the other side of the plane weren’t able to."
He went on to admit he 'doesn't know how' he was able to make it out alive.
"I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me," Ramesh continued. "I walked out of the rubble."
Aviation analyst, Guy Leitch, has since shared why he thinks seat 11A was different.
"The word miracle is the word that comes to mind," he told GB News, before adding: "My take on it is, the seat 11A was thrown clear of the wreckage as it actually broke up.
"I think that’s the only way he survived the fireball. He had to have been away from it."
Leitch went on to states that that was 'probably how he picked up his facial and chest injuries', noting: "The Boeing 787 had a different breakup structure in the way it actually broke up when it hit this building.
"That’s why we’re seeing so many ground fatalities added to the total."
The expert did, explain, however that the rear of the aircraft is 'generally still considered the safest part of the aircraft', which is why the black boxes, which are actually orange, are often located there.
When shown distressing images of the plane falling from the sky, Leitch responded: "It’s way too early to speculate as to why it went down.
"We’re hoping to see data from the recorder but some have suggested the flaps were retracted and they were slower than stalling speed."
He speculated that it was 'possible' the flaps were retracted early and the aircraft was not able to sustain its flying rate, however, he added: "It remains to be pure speculation."