“I Jumped for My Life!”: The Chilling Story of a Man Who Escaped the Fiery Air India Crash

New Delhi, India — What would you do if death was just seconds away—if the airplane you were on was plummeting toward the ground, smoke and fire engulfing the cabin, and screams erupting all around you? For one man, the answer was simple: he jumped.

This is the heart-stopping story of thirty-four-year-old Rahul Mehra, a marketing executive from Mumbai, who miraculously survived the Air India Express crash that killed dozens, by leaping out of the emergency exit moments before the aircraft burst into flames.

Now safe—but still deeply traumatized—Rahul is finally ready to share how he cheated death and why he believes “something divine” saved him.

A Normal Flight Turned Nightmare in Seconds

On what was supposed to be a routine domestic flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, Flight IX-1344 was carrying 190 people, including 6 crew members. The aircraft overshot the runway during landing amid torrential rain, splitting into two upon impact.

“I remember the turbulence increasing,” Rahul recounted in an exclusive interview. “People were starting to panic, but I told myself, ‘This is normal. It will pass.’”

But it didn’t.

Suddenly, everything turned to chaos. The lights went out, the plane shook violently, and a terrifying cracking sound followed. In a flash, oxygen masks dropped, trays flew in the air, and terrified screams filled the cabin.

“I saw the wing hit the ground. I knew this was not just turbulence. This was a crash.”

Smoke, Blood, and Fire: “It Felt Like the End”

When the aircraft broke apart, Rahul found himself thrown against a seat two rows in front of his. He was conscious—but bleeding. “There was blood on my forehead, my arm was numb, and the smell… I’ll never forget the smell. Fuel. Fire. Death.”

With the fuselage torn open, thick smoke and fire began to spread, and passengers were frantically trying to move in the darkness.

“I was crawling. People were stepping on each other. Some were unconscious. I heard a baby crying. I thought of my daughter and prayed, ‘God, don’t let me die this way.’”

And that’s when he saw it—an emergency exit that had partially popped open. Without thinking, he dragged himself toward it.

The Leap That Saved His Life

The drop from the emergency door was nearly 10 feet. Below was wet ground, scattered debris, and fire just meters away.

“I didn’t care how far it was. I just knew I had to get out. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped.”

He landed hard, injuring his ankle, but he was alive.

Seconds later, a deafening explosion rang out behind him. The rear of the plane was now engulfed in flames.

“If I had stayed for even 10 more seconds… I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

Survivor’s Guilt and Miraculous Luck

Rahul was one of the lucky 75 who survived. 21 people perished, including both pilots—heroes who tried to steer the damaged plane to safety until the last second.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see their faces,” Rahul admitted. “I remember the woman next to me holding her husband’s hand. I don’t know if they made it.”

He’s been diagnosed with survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, unable to sleep without nightmares. “It’s a second life,” he said. “But it’s not easy to accept that I lived… and others didn’t.”

A Message to the World: “Value Your Life”

Rahul now uses his voice to speak not just of tragedy—but of awareness and preparedness.

“People don’t pay attention during safety demos. I didn’t either. But now I know—those few seconds can save your life.”

His message is clear: “Value every moment. Love your family. Life can change in a heartbeat. I’m living proof.”

A National Wake-Up Call

The Air India Express crash has once again raised questions about aviation safety, infrastructure readiness in monsoon conditions, and emergency preparedness at Indian airports. While investigations are ongoing, Rahul’s testimony has already left a mark.

His story has gone viral across Indian media, with social platforms hailing him as “the man who leapt away from death.”

In His Own Words…

“I don’t think I’m brave. I was just desperate to live. I had to survive—for my daughter, for my wife. Something or someone gave me that strength. And I will never forget what it felt like—to fly without wings, in order to survive.”

Air India crash survivor says he escaped through broken emergency exit

NEW DELHI — The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people said he walked out of a broken emergency exit after the aircraft hit a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, who police said was on seat 11A near the emergency exit and managed to escape through the broken hatch, was filmed after Thursday’s crash limping on the street in a blood-stained T-shirt with bruises on his face.

That social media footage of the British national of Indian origin was broadcast on nearly all of India‘s news channels after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plummeted soon after take-off and erupted in a ball of fire.

It was the worst aviation disaster in a decade.

“I don’t believe how I survived. For some time I thought I was also going to die,” 40-year-old Viswashkumar told Indian state broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed on Friday.

“But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died)”.

Police said some people at the hostel and others on the ground were also killed in the crash. Rescue workers were searching for missing people and aircraft parts in the charred buildings of the hostel on Friday.

Viswashkumar said the plane appeared to come to a standstill in midair for a few seconds shortly after take-off and the green and white cabin lights were turned on.

He said he could feel the engine thrust increasing but then the plane “crashed with speed into the hostel.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in his home state of Gujarat to visit the crash site, also met Viswashkumar in the hospital on Friday.

Doctors told local media that he did not sustain any major injuries.

“The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke I tried to escape through it and I did,” Viswashkumar said.

“The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there.”

Viswashkumar said he walked out of the crash site with only burn injuries on his left arm.