A LUCKY man who survived a fatal plane crash has revealed he was sat in the same seat as the Brit sole survivor of the Air India disaster.
Ruangsak Loychusak was onboard the Thai Airways flight TG261 from Bangkok to India when it stalled and plunged into a swamp – killing 101 people on board.
But the singer revealed he was sitting in seat 11A when the plane went down in 1998.
The tragedy left 101 of the 132 passengers and 14 crew members dead. Some 45 people were injured.
It comes as…
- Horror footage shows moment plane crashes into fireball
- Woman missed the flight by 10mins because of traffic
- Names of the Brits who died begin to emerge
- Pilot sent a desperate mayday call in final moments
- More Brits killed than any air disaster since 9/11
- A family shared a heartbreaking final selfie from onboard
Follow The Sun’s live blog for all the latest updates
Ruangsak said he had “goosebumps” when it was revealed that the only survivor from the Air India crash was seated in 11A as well.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, cheated death after being flung from his seat on the flaming Air India jet – escaping with minor injuries and filmed walking away after the wreck.
He said the plane broke off after the crash and his seat flung out of the wreckage.
Ruangsak said: “The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A.
“I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.”
Although the Thai man no longer has his ticket from the doomed flight almost three decades ago, he said the newspaper reports from the time had recorded his seat number.
It would also be available on the flight records, he added.
He said: “I had difficulty flying for 10 years after the crash. I would struggle to breathe, even though the air circulation was normal.
“I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety.
“If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell.
“I can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the plane crashed into.
“For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself.”
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board – including 53 Brits and 11 children – smashed into a doctors’ hostel in the west of India on Thursday.
But Ramesh miralously escaped from the burning aircraft, becoming the only person to make it out alive.
Incredible footage shows him walking away from the wreckage almost unscathed.
Flanked by the locals, he can be seen making his way towards an ambulance with blood caking his face.
His boarding pass revealed he was sat on seat 11A, next to the flight’s emergency exit.
Ramesh revealed how he survived the tragic crash that killed everyone on board but him.
Speaking in Hindi, he said: “Everything happened in front of me and I couldn’t believe how I had come out alive.
“I thought for a second that I was going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive. I tried to slip out of the plane.
“I saw the air hostess, other passengers all in front of me. Within a few seconds, it felt the plane had stopped, and the green and white lights switched on.
“It felt like maybe [the pilot] suddenly accelerated to take off, but it went down to a hostel from there at high speed. I saw everything.
“The door broke [near me] broke off and I tried to slip out. The opposite side of the plane hit the wall. That’s why others could not get out.
“When I got out, I was taken to the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. My treatment is going well, and the people are very supportive.”
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board – including 53 Brits – smashed into a doctors’ hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India.
The plane was headed to London Gatwick with 232 passengers and 10 crew on board when it crashed just seconds after take-off.
The Dreamliner lost contact just seconds after take-off, according to flight tracking website Flightradar.
A final alert was last logged less than a minute after it started the journey from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
It had only reached 625ft at the time, officials believe.
Seconds before the crash, the Boeing was filmed flying low over the Meghani Nagar residential area with the pilots appearing to be in a desperate bid to keep the plane in the air.
Moments later, it was seen disappearing behind buildings before a huge blast was seen in the distance.
