Where’s the safest place to sit on a plane? People have always argued about it — back row, over the wing, near an exit? Lately: 11A
I was out the other night — one of those pub chats that started with “where’s everyone headed this winter?” and somehow spiralled into plane crashes, aisle seat etiquette, and the most bizarre travel fact I’ve heard in ages: 11A might just be the safest seat on a plane.
Yep. Not business class, not near the exit row. Just… 11A.
It turns out word has been spreading like wildfire since the crash of Air India Flight 171 last month, where one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, walked away as the only survivor.
He was in seat 11A, just near an exit, and somehow made it out before the plane caught fire. Wild, right? That alone would’ve been enough for a seat to gain urban legend status — but then someone dropped another true story into the convo…
Apparently, back in 1998, Thai pop star James Ruangsak Loychusak also survived a horrific crash — Thai Airways Flight 261 — and guess what? He was in 11A too.
Two major crashes. Two survivors. Same seat.
Now, of course, the logical side of your brain kicks in and says: coincidence, surely? And yeah, aviation experts are careful not to oversell it. Crash survivability is complex — it depends on everything from how the plane goes down to where the fire starts, and whether you’re sitting next to an exit or an engine.
But 11A seems to be sitting in a weird little sweet spot. It’s usually just forward of the wings, far enough from the engines to avoid the worst impact zones, and often right near a door.
Some reckon that could give you just enough of an edge if things go sideways.
It’s not just folklore either. A few studies back up the idea that seat location can matter — like the 2012 Boeing 727 crash test, where scientists deliberately crashed a plane in the desert (yep, really), and found passengers in the rear third of the aircraft had better chances of surviving due to lower impact forces.
And a TIME Magazine analysis of 35 years of FAA data found that middle seats in the back were the most survivable, while aisle seats near the middle were the worst off.
So no, 11A isn’t officially the “safest seat” — but it’s fast becoming the most talked about.
And let’s be honest: flying is already full of rituals and superstitions. Some people always touch the plane before boarding. Others pray. Now? You might hear someone mutter, “Hope I got 11A,” like it’s a lucky charm.
Is it magical? Probably not.
But after hearing those stories, you can bet I’m checking the seat map next time I fly.
