Miracle survives plane crash: Briton escaped death at the last minute!

Miracle survives plane crash: Briton escaped death at the last minute!

What a dramatic twist of fate: Owen Jackson, 31, was supposed to have flown from India to Great Britain on Air India flight AI171 on June 12th. But at the last minute he decided to postpone his return flight to Saturday - a decision that saved his life. Jackson was in the Indian state of Gujarat on business, training colleagues at a call center in Ahmedabad, when the accident occurred. Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing over 240 people. According to initial estimates, at least 270 people were killed, including bystanders on the ground, which further increases the tragedy of this disaster.

During the initial shock phase, Jackson's wife, Phillipa, did not find out about her husband's change of plans. She lived in uncertainty for two long hours until the nightmare was over. Meanwhile, the British Air Accident Authority (AAIB) swung into action and announced it would send a team to India to support the necessary investigation. Boeing has also offered its support for the investigation, as is often the case in such tragic cases.

The only survivor

The only survivor of the crash is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin. Ramesh, who was on his way back to the UK with his brother, reported that the plane made a loud noise just 30 seconds after take-off before crashing. Tragically, his brother did not survive the crash. Ramesh found himself in fear of death during the mishap and only escaped through a small room near the door. During those dramatic minutes, he didn't even forget that he was sitting out of the emergency exit row, row 11A, directly in front of the left wing, which made the silence after the shock all the more devastating.

A doctor said Ramesh's condition was "not very critical" and he could be discharged from hospital in the next few days. Nevertheless, the trauma remains deeply embedded, and the bewilderment at the fate of the other passengers, including some medical students from the BJ Medical College and Hospital, does not give way to dismay. According to media reports, at least three of these students died while over 30 others were injured.

The sad reality of aviation accidents

Airplane crashes are still a threatening reality today. Although the number of crashes has decreased in recent years, the danger remains. Statistics show that 233 deaths from plane crashes were reported worldwide in 2022. Before the turn of the millennium there were often over 1,000 victims per year. Crashes in commercial aviation have been further reduced due to technical innovations such as landing assistants, but many accidents still occur during landing.

In the case of Air India, the tragedy becomes even more shocking as the passengers were from diverse countries such as the UK, Canada and Portugal. This flight showed once again how fragile and unpredictable life can be. While the USA fortunately recorded zero aircraft losses per million flights in 2022, no one would have expected such a terrible accident that has now affected everyone.

The investigation continues and we hope that the background to this terrible incident can soon be clarified. During these difficult times, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.