Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national seated in 11A, has emerged as the sole survivor of the tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash that claimed 265 lives. The flight, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday.
Ramesh recounted that moments after takeoff, the aircraft began to break apart. His seat, located next to the emergency door, was torn from the fuselage and flung clear of the wreckage. Still strapped in, he landed near ground level, shielded from the fire that engulfed the rest of the plane.
“The plane broke, and my seat came off. That’s how I was saved,” Ramesh told doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. “I can’t believe how I survived. I thought I would die. People died in front of my eyes.”
He managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and walk out, despite injuries, before collapsing near rescuers. A now-viral video shows him limping toward an ambulance, dazed and bloodied.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard. It crashed into a medical college hostel, causing widespread damage. The pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call minutes before the crash. A formal investigation is underway.
Authorities are still searching for the aircraft’s black box. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site, and the nation continues to mourn one of its worst aviation tragedies.