Thai singer shares connection to Air India crash survivor
Seat 11A emerges as a strange common thread in two survival stories
A Thai singer, who survived a plane crash in Surat Thani in 1998, revealed that he once sat in the same seat number as the British survivor of the recent Air India crash.
The singer, Ruangsak “James” Loychusak, took to his Facebook page, Jamesruangsak, to comment on the Air India crash near Ahmedabad, India, which occurred today, June 13. In his post, James wrote…
“The survivor from the Air India plane crash sat in the same seat number as me, 11A. #goosebumps”
The British national, 38 year old Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was the sole survivor after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a dormitory for medical students. Ramesh had reportedly been seated in seat 11A, which is located next to an emergency exit over the left wing of the aircraft.
Reports suggest that Ramesh either jumped or was thrown through the emergency exit just before the plane exploded.
The incident stirred powerful memories for James, who survived a Thai Airways crash on December 11, 1998, while travelling to Surat Thani for a concert. The aircraft, an Airbus A310, crashed into a rubber plantation around two miles from the airport during a landing attempt.
The crash was attributed to severe weather caused by Tropical Depression Jill. The pilot attempted to land twice before the plane crashed on the third attempt. According to Thai Rath, 101 people lost their lives in the incident, while 45 others were injured.
Among the deceased were several prominent individuals, including the secretary to the Prime Minister Thawat Wichaidit and his wife, Director of Somdet Phra Yuppharat Chawang Hospital Kowit Warapongsittikun, and Sirirat Srithep who is the sister of political activist Suthep Thaugsuban.
James was one of the survivors and was nicknamed “James Iron Bones” following the accident. At the time, he told the media he had no idea how he survived, believing a supernatural spirit may have saved him.
He later revealed that it took over a decade to overcome his fear of flying. For years, he was unable to speak to anyone during flights and would stare anxiously out the window. His anxiety worsened whenever there was poor weather or dark clouds.
Aircraft designs place reinforced structures around emergency exits to maximise the chances of escape in a crash. This may help explain how both James and Ramesh survived while seated in seat 11A.
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