British Father Was Meant To Be On Air India AI171, Seat 11A, Last Minute Work Delay Saved His Life

The afternoon of June 12, 2025, drenched the entire nation with a rain of grief and cast a shadow of heartbreak. A flight which was supposed to bring several home and others to their dreams left everyone in ashes and their families in a pain they would remember for years to come. While hundreds of people lost their lives, some survived the accident, by luck, by being late, and some by a last-minute change in plans. 

British dad, saved by a last-minute delay in work, was supposed to be on Air India AI171

While the families of Air India AI171 victims are mourning the loss of their loved ones, a family in Britain is grateful for the blessing in disguise which saved the life of a father. A man named Owen Jackson was supposed to fly home on the ill-fated flight from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London when a delay in work caused him to change his tickets. However, little did he know that this would come as a blessing for him and his family.

Owen is a 31-year-old man who hails from Saffron Walden, Essex. He was on a work trip to India and was scheduled to fly back home soon. He was deciding on June 12, 2025, or June 14, 2025, when his colleague suggested that he take the Saturday, June 14, 2025, flight as the work would take longer than they had originally anticipated. So, Owen booked the flight for June 14, 2025, instead of June 12, 2025, which he later learned saved his life. However, that was not the only surprising part about his ticket back home.

Owen Jackson was booked on the same aircraft and the same seat as the survivor of plane crash

A ticket which would have meant nothing suddenly shared an eerie similarity with the flight on June 12, 2025. Not only was Owen booked on the same aircraft as the plane crash, but he was also seated on seat 11A, which belonged to the survivor of flight AI171. The details of the same soon went viral, making people wonder if fate didn't just save one person on 11A but two. 

Owen Jackson reacts to the incident

Owen Jackson finally, in a conversation with The Sun, revealed that he is shocked but also grateful. He added that it was such a weird coincidence, and while on any other day, he wouldn't even have thought about it, now, the similarities occupied his mind. He further shared that his main emotion is pure gratitude. For the unversed, Owen had not told his family which day he would return back home, making his wife, Phillipa, worry for two hours about her husband's well-being. He was quoted as saying:

"It’s a shock. I’m more grateful than anything else - it is such a weird coincidence. You hear it every now and again about planes going down and you don’t really think much of it, but when it’s the actual aircraft you’re potentially getting on two days later, it does make you think. My main emotion on the whole thing is I’m quite grateful for the fact that I made that decision when I did."

More about the Air India crash

The unfortunate incident took place around 1:30 pm on June 12, 2025, less than a minute after the flight had taken off from Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to Gatwick Airport in London. However, within seconds of its take-off, the flight lost control descending from a height of 625 feet. The pilot sent a May Day call. However, it was too late, and before the station could respond, the flight had already collapsed on the roof of a medical college hotel. The crash has since resulted in over 270 casualties including 241 on board deaths and several locals, students and residents. 

What are your thoughts on Owen Jackson changing his flights last minute? Let us know.

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