"I Was Also in 11A": Story of Plane Crash Survivor from 27 Years Ago Draws Attention

Air India Crash Survivor Also in '11A'
Experts Say "Survivability Cannot Be Predicted by Seat Location"

Amid growing interest in the recent Air India passenger plane crash, it was revealed that the sole survivor among the 242 passengers was seated in 11A. In response, a Thai national who survived a plane crash 27 years ago has drawn attention by revealing that he, too, was seated in 11A during his accident.

The scene of Thai actor and singer Luangsak Roychusak being rescued during the plane crash and the current Luangsak Roychusak. Screenshots from Thai Khaosod and Roychusak's Instagram.

According to Thai media outlets Khaosod and Thairath on June 16 (local time), Thai singer and actor Luangsak Roychusak (47) expressed his condolences to the victims and bereaved families of the Indian air disaster on social media. He also revealed that he had survived a passenger plane crash while sitting in seat 11A. He added, "It gives me goosebumps."

Roychusak was on board Thai Airways flight TG261, which departed from Bangkok for Surat Thani in southern Thailand in December 1998. The aircraft crashed into a swamp while attempting to land, resulting in the deaths of 101 passengers and crew members and injuring 45 others. Roychusak was among the survivors. He stated that he no longer has his boarding pass from the time of the accident, but that his seat number was recorded in newspaper reports at the time.

Previously, on the 24th anniversary of the plane crash in 2022, Roychusak shared his ongoing pain on social media. He said, "For more than ten years after the accident, I suffered every time I boarded a plane. My palms would sweat, my heart would beat irregularly, and I found it difficult to breathe." He added, "The sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water from the swamp where we crashed remain vivid in my memory."

Meanwhile, Vishwashi Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Air India AI171 passenger plane crash in India, was also reportedly seated in 11A. Although it was initially believed that all 240 passengers had perished, he reportedly walked out of the wreckage on his own, limping to an ambulance and saying, "I got out of the plane."

The fact that two people who survived plane crashes were both seated in the same numbered seat drew significant attention online. Some even began calling 11A the "lucky seat." However, aviation experts unanimously stated that this is purely a coincidence and that it is impossible to predict survivability based on seat location. Experts explained that seat configurations differ from aircraft to aircraft, and the seats most favorable for survival vary depending on the circumstances of each accident.