Is Seat 11A the Safest on a Plane? Not Really, Experts Say
- On Thursday, June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London went down near Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of all passengers except for a single survivor who was seated in 11A.
- The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, sat adjacent to an emergency exit and escaped through it moments after the crash, prompting debate on whether 11A is the safest seat.
- Mitchell Fox and other experts emphasize that since every crash involves different circumstances, determining a passenger’s chances of survival based solely on their seat position is not feasible.
- Recent advancements in aircraft design have enhanced passenger survival odds by incorporating illuminated aisle pathways, smoke and fire sensors, onboard fire suppression equipment, flame-resistant interior materials, and easier access to emergency exits.
- These events highlight the importance of safety briefings and cabin design advancements while underscoring that survival depends on a complex interplay of multiple factors beyond seat location alone.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Unpacking the complexities of plane crash survival beyond seat 11A
THE survival of a passenger who escaped through an exit door seconds after his Air India flight crashed, killing everyone else on board, has prompted speculation over whether his seat — 11A — is the safest. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
Is 11A Safest Seat On Plane? What Expert Said On Lone Air Crash Survivor
One passenger on Air India flight 171 walked away as the sole survivor, after the aircraft crashed in Ahmedabad earlier this week, in what was one of the worst air disasters in India in recent times.
After the plane crash in India, the news of the miraculous survival of a passenger has made the world all over. The man has the 11A place, which is not considered the safest place on a plane. Even if there are no scientific studies...

Is seat 11A the safest on a plane? Not really, experts say
(Refiles story to clarify Ramesh as surname of the survivor, and Viswashkumar as his given name, and not the other way around, based on interviews with his family)
The sole survivor of the deadly Air India plane crash that killed 241 people was wearing a seat belt in seat 11A, even though aviation experts say that seat is not generally considered one of the safest on a plane, nypost.com reports.
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