Sometimes, being late is the best thing that can happen. For Bhoomi Chauhan, a missed flight became the difference between life and death.
The Bristol student was rushing to catch Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London when traffic delayed her arrival. By the time she reached the airport, check-in had closed. “I begged them to let me board,” she said. “But they wouldn’t budge.” Little did she know, that refusal would spare her from one of the worst aviation disasters in recent history.
Minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into a residential area, leaving no survivors onboard. Chauhan, who had been complaining about her ruined travel plans over tea, was stunned when her agent broke the news. “My hands started shaking,” she admitted. “I should have been on that flight.”
Amid the tragedy, one man defied the odds. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British-Indian passenger, survived the impact despite sitting near the wing—a section experts say rarely withstands crashes. His family in Leicester described his survival as “a miracle,” though his brother, who was also on the flight, is still unaccounted for.
For Chauhan, the experience has changed her perspective. “I used to stress over small delays,” she said. “Now, I just thank God for them.”
