The Survivor’s Story: One Man’s Escape from India’s Deadliest Air Disaster in Years

Ahmedabad, India — June 2025.
What should have been a routine morning departure turned into one of India’s worst aviation tragedies in decades. A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Flight AI246 en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed seconds after takeoff, killing 241 people onboard and 38 more on the ground. The total death toll: 279.

But among the bodies, debris, and smoke—one man emerged alive.

The Sole Survivor: A Miracle in Seat 11A

Forty-year-old Vishwash Ramesh, a British national of Indian descent, was seated in 11A, beside the emergency exit over the wing. He would later tell investigators and journalists that it was this seat placement—and a matter of seconds—that saved his life.

“The moment the plane left the ground,” he said, “I knew something was wrong.”

According to Ramesh, there was an immediate flickering of the cabin lights, a “lurching feeling,” and then a violent drop. He estimates the aircraft hovered “mid-air” for five to ten seconds before violently crashing into a staff housing block adjacent to the airport runway.

“People were screaming. The lights went out. Then came the fire.”

The right side of the aircraft broke open on impact. That moment, combined with the weakened fuselage, gave Ramesh a split-second opportunity. His seat near the emergency exit ripped open. Though dazed, he managed to kick the exit door, crawl through mangled metal, and jump free just seconds before the aircraft exploded.

“Bodies were everywhere. I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t feel real. I ran and didn’t look back.”

Security cameras later captured his bloodied figure stumbling across an airport service road. He was treated by paramedics within minutes and taken to a nearby hospital. Ramesh was discharged within 48 hours with minor burns, bruising, and a concussion—physically intact, but emotionally shattered.

The Final Words from the Cockpit

The distress call came just 11 seconds after liftoff. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a 25-year veteran, could be heard saying:

“Mayday, Mayday. We have loss of thrust. Loss of power. Unable to climb.”

His co-pilot, First Officer Rekha Pillai, echoed the call seconds later. But within 25 seconds, the plane had lost altitude, clipped an airport fence, and crashed nose-first into a two-story dormitory used by airport ground staff.

The building collapsed instantly. Among the 38 killed on the ground were nurses, cafeteria workers, and two children.

A Doomed Takeoff: What Went Wrong

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with support from Boeing investigators and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), launched an immediate inquiry. While the full investigation remains ongoing, early findings and expert interviews have raised three primary hypotheses:

Bird Strike or Foreign Object Ingestion
Analysts believe a large bird or debris may have been sucked into both engines, disrupting power. Security camera footage reportedly shows birds in the vicinity moments before takeoff.

Electrical Failure
Ramesh and other passengers had reportedly experienced flickering cabin lights and malfunctioning seat-back screens prior to the crash. One passenger who flew on the same aircraft the day before said the lighting system was “glitchy and inconsistent.”

Flap Configuration Error
Preliminary telemetry data shows the aircraft failed to generate sufficient lift. Investigators are examining whether the wing flaps were incorrectly configured, preventing full takeoff thrust.

Black box recovery crews have since secured the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The devices were charred but intact, and data retrieval is underway.

Who Was on Board

Flight AI246 carried a diverse passenger list:

117 Indian nationals, many of whom were students or IT professionals heading to the UK.

48 British passport holders.

76 crew members and Air India staff, many on long-haul duty rotation.

Among the victims were a young couple on their honeymoon, a well-known Gujarati businessman, and a UN climate researcher en route to a summit in Geneva.

Families of the victims gathered at airports in both India and the UK, demanding answers. Air India issued a statement of condolence and pledged full cooperation with international investigators.

A Nation in Mourning, and One Man Carrying the Memory

For Vishwash Ramesh, survival is both a blessing and a burden.

“I keep seeing their faces,” he told reporters outside the hospital. “I was sitting beside a mother and her teenage son. I remember what she said to him before we took off. Now they’re gone. And I’m here.”

Ramesh says he’s committed to sharing his story, not for attention, but to help investigators—and to honor those who didn’t make it.

“I’m not the story,” he says. “But if what I remember helps, if it prevents this from happening again—then that’s why I’m still here.”

Looking Ahead

As of this writing:

Memorial services are being planned in Ahmedabad, London, and New Delhi.

Compensation funds are being organized for families of the victims.

The final investigative report is expected in the coming months.

What is clear already is that this tragedy was not just a mechanical failure—it was a human one. And the world is watching to ensure it is never repeated.