Russian resident Maxim Kolomeitsev planned to celebrate his 37th birthday in his home town of Orsk this Sunday with his girlfriend and his parents, but his plans changed and he decided to have a short vacation at a ski resort instead.
At first, Maxim wanted to pick up a new car, which was supposed to be delivered to Orsk on February 10. But one week ago, the company's representatives called him and said that the car would be shipped with a delay, which is why he cancelled his tickets and bought new ones for another flight a week later.
"I learned about the tragedy when I was skiing in Krasnaya Polyana, while celebrating my birthday. A friend called me and said that there was a crash. Then everyone started calling me, and instead of wishing me happy birthday they asked me about the flight and if everything was okay. All my friends knew that todayI was going to take this flight," the man said.
According to Maxim, this is the third time in his life when he survived just by miracle.
READ MORE: Russian An-148 Plane Crashes in Moscow Region, All 71 Onboard Confirmed Dead
"Before that, 5-6 years ago, I was 10 minutes late for a minibus that was traveling from Orenburg to Orsk. I took a taxi, was nervous, worried. And then it turned out that the there was a bus crash, and not a single person survived. The second time I was going to take a taxi to another city, but stayed late at work and decided not to. And then this car also got into an accident, about four years ago. And now, it happens again," the man said.
The An-148 passenger aircraft operated by "Saratov Airlines" en route Moscow-Orsk crashed after its departure from Domodedovo airport on February 11. The plane disappeared from the radar screens just a few minutes after taking off. There were 71 people — 65 passengers and six crew members — on board.
