(Image source from: x.com/AmitShah)
Only a single individual managed to escape the wreckage of the ruined Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian citizen seated in 11A, came out as the lone survivor of Air India flight AI-171, which tragically crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Occurring at 1:38 pm on Thursday, this incident marks India’s deadliest single-aircraft accident in many years. The flight, heading for London Gatwick, went down mere seconds after departure, crashing into a multi-story hostel that housed resident doctors from BJ Medical College in the Meghaninagar area. Among those who lost their lives were 229 passengers and 12 crew members, along with five medical students present on the ground. In stark contrast, Mr. Ramesh, a 40-year-old businessman residing in the UK, emerged from the wreck, confused, with injuries and burns. His brother, who was seated in 11J directly across the aisle, was not as fortunate.
“I witnessed everything unfold before me. I genuinely believed I was going to die,” Mr. Ramesh recounted to Doordarshan shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Preliminary logs from air traffic control indicate that the Dreamliner departed from runway 23 at 13:38 IST. It ascended normally for a brief period before the pilot issued a Mayday call for help. Witnesses located near the airport reported hearing unusual engine sounds followed by a dramatic nosedive. Moments later, the plane crashed into the southern wing of the hostel. The pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, was a Line Training Captain with an impressive 8,200 hours of flying experience, while First Officer Clive Kundar had 1,100 hours under his belt.
Seat 11A is situated in the front row of economy class, immediately behind the business section and in proximity to the emergency exits on the left side. Upon impact, the area at the front-left, including 11A, caved into the ground floor of the hostel building, unlike the upper sections where the main fuselage sustained severe damage. “The side where I sat went into the building’s ground floor,” Mr. Ramesh explained. “There was a bit of room. When the door broke, I noticed the space and instinctively jumped out.” Mr. Ramesh was fortunate; the section opposite him, which collided with a wall, was blocked by debris and fire. None of those seated within those rows survived.
“The door must have given way on impact,” he stated. “There was a wall on the other side, but where I was, it was open. I ran. I don't recall how I managed to do it.” Visual evidence from the scene supports his description, showing the midsection and tail of the aircraft reduced to ash and ruin. However, the forward fuselage partially separated before catching fire, providing a narrow escape route.
"I can't believe I made it out alive," Mr. Ramesh recounted to Doordarshan. "For a moment, I really thought I was going to perish. However, when I regained consciousness, I realized I was still breathing. I unbuckled my seatbelt and managed to exit the aircraft. Tragically, I witnessed the airhostess and an elderly couple lose their lives right in front of me." Presently, Mr. Ramesh is recuperating in bed 11 of Ward B7 at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he is under constant observation. His area is secured by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and the city’s crime division. Early this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad and toured the crash location before visiting the hospital to meet with Mr. Ramesh. "He inquired about what transpired," Mr. Ramesh recounted. "I told him I had no clue how I survived. Everything unfolded so quickly."
The survival of only one individual has led to reflections on previous aviation tragedies in which a single ticket holder emerged unscathed. In 1987, four-year-old Cecelia Cichan was the sole survivor of Northwest Flight 255, which went down in Detroit. In 2009, 12-year-old Bahia Bakari was the only survivor of Yemenia Flight 626, which crashed near the Comoros Islands. More recently, Jim Polehinke, a co-pilot, survived the Comair crash in Kentucky in 2006.
