Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment on Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed from Mumbai to New York, via Karachi and Frankfurt. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. I could see the terrorists walking up and down the aisle, trying to negotiate. Dilip Bidichandani, another steward, is adamant that the pilots' escape actually saved more lives. The court suspended the hearing before it was completed due to a lack of sufficient interpreters for the defendant. Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. December 16, 2003 - Defendant Safarini pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to all 95 counts of the superseding indictment against him in connection with the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. Somehow I managed to escape from the aircraft. The other hijackers were released from their Pakistani jail in 2008, against the wishes of India and the US. I was from a business family, married into another business family but I chose to start an NGO, providing education for the underprivileged after going through this tragedy. She was allowed to lie down. We sat in that position for almost three hours.After a point we couldnt help but plead them to let us use the washrooms. On September 5, 1986, Pan Am flight 73, a Boeing 747, departed Mumbai for New York with scheduled stops in Karchi and Frankfurt. We were pushed to another compartment of the aircraft. DUMFRIES, Scotland (AP) _ Two passengers might have survived the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 had they received the best medical care immediately, a Scottish pathologist testified Wednesday. We went back inside trying to exit from another door during which we lost each other. The Pan Am Flight 73 on its way from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was . Around four hours into the siege, the hijackers began trying to identify the Americans on board. Interim status hearing dates were set for February 18, 2004, and April 14, 2004. Neerja Bhanot. Neerja swayed the terrorists to allow us to use the washroom telling them that the passengers would cooperate better if they were allowed. Some Southlanders will not be coming home. The $5 million reward is offered through the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program. No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. Joani and Jack sat in first . He was shot by the hijackers when, according to some other passengers, he objected to their rough treatment of a flight attendant. After a short break all the Flight 73 crew returned to Pan Am for at least a few years. They were at every exit trying to push us out of the aircraft. Victim impact statements can be given in written or recorded form, and a limited number of victims will be permitted to give in-court testimony. They didn't discuss the hijack. The crew of Pan Am Flight 73 (three of whom are pictured here with their colleagues) were all in their early to mid 20s at the time of the hijack. These sentences are later commuted to life sentences. Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has . See Her Life in Photos, Mickey Guyton and Grant Savoy's Relationship Timeline, Girl, 11, Speaks Out After Dad's Bear Hug Saves Her Life in Airplane Crash, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan's Relationship Timeline, The Cutest Longterm Celebrity Couple Throwback Photos, All of Princess Diana's PEOPLE Magazine Covers Through the Years, Shaquille O'Neal and Ex Shaunie's Relationship Timeline, On the 110th Anniversary of Titanic's Sinking, Revisit Chilling Tales of Life and Death from the PEOPLE Archives. We just kept praying.. 2023 BBC. Now eight of them - led by Sunnyvale attorney Gargi Dave, who was 10 years old during the ordeal and is due a $3 million payment -are fighting a New York law firm's efforts to wrest away 90 percent of those settlements. There was complete chaos at the Sahar airport when we returned. The FAI report concluded that Pan Am 103's 16 crew and 243 named passengers, including Bernt Wilmar Carlsson (born on 21 November 1938 and residing at Apartment 30, 207 West 106th Street, New York, New York 10025 . After complaints by families in the United States that they had been unable to get accurate information about their kin on the jetliner, a spokeswoman for a State Department task force said American consular officials were empowered only to deal with U.S. citizens. Murdaughs fall from grace ends in a life sentence for murder, CPAC shows the GOP has deep divisions that may prove impossible to repair, Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome, Black Vietnam veteran finally awarded Medal of Honor, Toxic forever chemicals about to get their first U.S. limits, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Best coffee city in the world? Once the death penalty issue is resolved, including any appeal, if one is filed, a new trial date will be set. October 17, 1990. You can argue that setting aside the lawsuit brought by Crowell & Moring was one of the benefits to Libya in signing a pact and therefore that the lawyers deserve some payment for their work. As they left the plane, Pratik pointed at his father and cried, Daddy, Daddy!. No Thanks Towards the end, they were frustrated because they were looking for pilots and there were none.After a point when it was dark, this leader, I remember him being addressed as Mustafa, said his prayers in a high pitch. He said she related, It was all confusion and panic. There was gunfire. Pan Am officials said 16 survivors of the hijacking were booked on the plane that arrived in Los Angeles from New York on Monday afternoon. Read about our approach to external linking. "This changed everything. I realised I couldnt stand. The pilot picked up on her second attempt and she relayed the hijack code. A sentencing date is now set for May 12, 2004. "The stories may differ but the spirit remains the same.". It departed from Los Angeles bound for the . Neerja seemed like just any other airhostess until we reached Karachi and the terrorists took over. Among them was Kankuben Gala, 67, of Tustin, who also was in a wheelchair. The firm's court filings estimate that $330 million is owed to Pan Am 73 survivors. I lay down on my family, my small child and other baby . The Dav sisters scampered over the top of the seats to find the emergency exit as the gunfire and grenades erupted. In panic mode, they opened gunfire. He stopped me from writing. We were even scared to look at him.. That fateful night our tickets were not confirmed. The Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. Age: 40Profession: ArtistI was 12 then and travelling with my mother Trupti Dalal. She went back to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. Many went for it. "They had lost patience. "My mother died while shielding and protecting me. After 33 years, the tragedy is still haunting. Sherene, and another colleague Ranee Vaswani, were the last two hostages to leave the plane. I climbed back into the aircraft and then ran to the rear exit. "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". Her actions led to 359 of the 380 people on-board the plane managing to live through the ordeal. It was a short jump to reach the wing of the plane. It shocked the world, and is the subject of a newly released film, but the surviving crew have until now remained silent. The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. At the sentencing in the spring of 2004, the judge will consider victim impact evidence from those who survived Pan Am 73 as well as from family members or friends of those who were killed. 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast: Where Are They Now? He said he was looking for American fighter planes," says Sherene. Not hearing any more gunfire, but not knowing where the gunmen were, they went back into the dark plane to look for survivors. But, Pan Am Flight 214 . At the International Conference on Cyber Security in New York, FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed how the FBI is evolving to stay ahead of threats in the digital age. Survivors of a 1986 terrorist attack on Pan Am 73 in Pakistan faced a nightmare together. Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. But I opted to carry a young lady, who was severely injured and sadly died in my arms. Tenn., flight attendant, JOHNSON, Caria, New York City, flight attendant, WARNS, Grores, Blairstown, N.J., flight engineer, See the article in its original context from. 2 and Beyond, FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Shocking Death of Princess Diana, 25 Years Ago Today. Answer (1 of 6): Of all of the 61 survivors of Pan Am Flight 1736 (the flight that had survivors come out), only 16 people came out without injuries. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. PUBLISHED 12:35 PM ET Oct. 18, 2019. May 30, 2003 - Defendant filed his response to the government's motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. Sixteen-month-old Melissa Trahan, on stretcher, is rushed from the scene of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, La. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121. "That day, knowingly or unknowingly, we came together as a team and played our parts to the best of our ability," says Massey Casper, another steward. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. Sunshine called Dilip over to help, and the two carried Neerja to the emergency slide. Nevertheless, Crowell & Mooring has insisted that the sharing provision applies. The case is being investigated by the Bureaus Washington Field Office. Outside on the tarmac, Pan Am's Karachi director Viraf Doroga used a megaphone to begin negotiations with the hijackers. In 2005, at the urging of other Flight 73 survivors, she and her sister joined a group that hired the Washington, D.C. law firm of Crowell & Moring to pursue claims against the Libyan government, which had backed several international terrorist exploits, including the 1988 Pan Am explosion over Lockerbie, Scotland. It was his birthday and he was taking revenge. On September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked on the ground at Karachi Airport in Pakistan by Palestinian terrorists led by the Abu Nidal Organization, a terrorist organization backed by . The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. T. M. George, 45, an auto parts store manager, was wounded in the back when he tried to shield his family from gunfire. (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News). Then I was pushed gently from an exit and I landed on the tarmac. Her husband, Sadanand Singh, said she was killed when she threw herself in front of her son and daughter. Neerja had been shot in her hip and was bleeding heavily, but was conscious. They pushed her down first, then jumped out themselves. While on a routine stopover in Pakistan, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by four armed Palestinian terrorists. The FBIs Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama is the only facility in the country that trains and certifies the nations public safety bomb technicians. The four suspectsWadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawarare believed to have been members of the Abu Nidal Organization, which was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Being fond of writing, I was jotting down my feelings on a piece of paper. About 7:00 pm on December 21, Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 en route to New York City from . He also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign the defendant to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax. But if they accede to the demands of the law firm, Crowell & Moring, to share the money with the 137 non-Americans in the case, the Davs estimate they would lose 90 percent of the money negotiated for them. "Neerja was an excellent airhostess. May 9, 2003 - The government filed a motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the United States from Seeking the Death Penalty in this case. Also, a sentencing date will be scheduled (probably for some time in the spring of 2004). He held the gun in one hand and with the other he gave me water. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. LUKER, Marilyn. When our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. "The pilots evacuating the airplane meant that we were not at the mercy of the terrorists, who could have instructed the plane to be flown into a building, or even blown up whilst in flight.". They had only genuine feelings for us and our country. We were ready to take what was coming, because there was nothing else we could do. December 30, 2002 - Attorneys for defendant Safarini file a reply brief in support of their motion seeking to bar the death penalty against the defendant. A total of 112 survivors of Flight 73 had arrived in the United States late Sunday, landing at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport, where they were met by relatives, friends, reporters and photographers. Captain Robert Bragg was the co-pilot aboard the Pan Am plane, and was one of the few who survived the collision. January 2008 - Pakistan reportedly released from jail the remaining four hijackers who had been convicted in 1988. He repeatedly led either Sunshine or Sherene at gunpoint up to the upper deck cockpit, using them as human shields while he peeked round them to have a look outside. I wanted to save my family.. I could have run to the terminus. I became more courageous and confidant to face any situation in life later.Neerja was an excellent airhostess. KAREN ANDERSON (Pan Am Flight 1736 Passenger/Survivor): It was a survival mode that kicked in, and it was just, "get out of that airplane." KLAAS MEURS (KLM Flight 4805 Co-Pilot/From Flight Voice . Melissa Missy Trahan was just 16 months old when she was rescued from the rubble of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, Louisiana, on July 9, 1982. "I may be biased but I feel that day proved that the flight attendants on board were some of the best in the industry.". Were hoping that with the age-progression photos next to the original photos maybe that will jar some memories or maybe someone has seen these guys walking around.. And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. Neerja Bhanot was senior flight purser on the Empress of the Seas, a Pan Am 747 hijacked at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi by four armed men from the Abu Nidal organization en route to Frankfurt and New York. "I noticed immediately that the escape devices in the cockpit had been deployed. Pan Am Flight 759 went down shortly after takeoff in a Kenner neighborhood on July 9, 1982, killing all 145 on board. Pan Am Flight 73 was a Pan American World Airways flight from Bombay, India, to New York, United States with scheduled stops in Karachi, Pakistan and Frankfurt, West Germany.. On September 5, 1986, the Boeing 747-121 serving the flight was hijacked while on the ground at Karachi by four armed Palestinian men of the Abu Nidal Organization.The aircraft, with 360 passengers on board, had just . Meanwhile, inside the plane, 29-year-old American passenger Rajesh Kumar was pulled out of his seat and made to kneel in front of one of the open doors, with a gun to his head. I was part of the Avishakar Academy Of Performing Arts. She could have easily been the first one to escape but she chose to push everyone else out. The court date of November 17, 2003, which had previously been set as a date to hear arguments on legal motions not related to the death penalty, has been converted to a status conference. I realised I had survived. Gargi Dav argues that they could file in foreign courts. One was naturalized citizen Rajesh Kumar, 29, of Huntington Beach. A former international cross-country skier who acted as a ski instructor to . More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. Neerja's colleagues say she was still alive when she arrived at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. At the plea proceeding on December 16th, the terms of the plea agreement will be made public and the defendant is expected to admit his guilt. She went to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. Another person who was on the wings jumped down and broke his legs. I was told to go alone and on my way back, I came across a water dispenser. Saturday marked 40 years since Pan Am 759 crashed into a Kenner neighborhood, killing all 146 people on board and eight people on the ground.The only survivor on the ground was 16 . She could have easily escaped first but she chose to push everyone else out. The United States Attorney's Office In Your Neighborhood. PARKER, Isabella, Capistrano Bench, Calif. PENKSTAFF, Mrs. Charles San Diego, Calif. SEACRIST, Katherine, Lthaina. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". They shot a certain US citizen by the name of Rajesh.I remember seeing Neerja each time the terrorists asked her to give us instructions. Following is a list of passengers on the Pan American Boeing 747 airliner who were killed in the Canary Islands crash, as provided Monday to The Associated Press by Pan American officials: BRADLEY, Col. Clittro, San Juan Capisl, Calif. BRADLEY, Marlorie, San Juan Capist, Calif. BRANDCNBERG, Brita, Corona del Mar, Calif. CAZA, Elizabeth, Winosor, Oatario, Canada. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. March 27, 1977 is a date permanently etched in aviation history. Defendant Safarini will be held in prison pending trial. Students who switched tickets escaped the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. At the sentencing, the judge will consider victim impact evidence from those who survived Pan Am 73 as well as from family members or friends of those who were killed. We were aware they took hold of Rajesh, a US national. He said of a family of four sitting across the aisle from him: Two of them were killed and the others were wounded.. . Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. When armed terrorists stormed the plane on the tarmac in Karachi, Pakistan, early on Sept. 5, 1986, Dav was 10 years old, flying with her 13-year-old sister from India to the United States. On December 21, Pan Am 103 was beginning the second leg of its Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit route. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Some survivors of the ill-fated PanAm flight 73 recount the sordid memories of that September day in 1986 when . Also meeting the plane was Harshad Shah, 40, a Los Angeles bank employee, who had waited through the days of fear and uncertainty to learn what had happened to his wife, Raksha; his 65-year-old mother, Jasumati; his son, Pratik, 3, and his daughter, Jignisha, 13. Print. As soon as his prayer was over, they started firing indiscriminately. Mrs. Georges husband was one of several survivors who were brought off a Pan American World Airways jetliner at Los Angeles International Airport in wheelchairs. There was a buzz that they had a time bomb on them, which could explode. Nupoor saw them shoot near the feet of a colleague, shouting at her to lock the door. She slid out upside down.". Meherjee, the mechanic, told Safarini that the emergency power would last 15 minutes or so before the aircraft would be plunged into darkness. Passengerlist of the PamAm. My father, Kalpesh Dalal, was extremely disturbed. It was dark and I was very scared.. During their interviews with the BBC, they stressed that there was no single hero that day, that crew members not interviewed played an equally important role, and that they want survivors of terror attacks like 9/11 and Paris to know that life goes on. The battle between the Dav group and the law firm is now in arbitration in D.C. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Crowell & Moring LLP would like to recognize 13 of the firm's Pan Am Flight 73 victims of terrorism clients who were presented the Special Courage Award by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales during the National Crime Victims' Rights Week Awards Ceremony on April 21, 2006. And screams.". Pity that she was shot at.". February 12, 2003 - Legal arguments were held before Judge Sullivan, with the attorneys for the government and the defense arguing their positions on the defendant's motion seeking to bar the death penalty in this case. Witness is a programme of the . Safarini, mid-joke, caught her and immediately pointed the gun at her head. December 3, 2009 - The FBI announced that it has added the four fugitive hijackers to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. Sunshine and Dilip were also on the wing, but in the darkness couldn't gauge the distance of the drop. Later, my friend and I had held another injured friend between our shoulders and escaped. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. TORRECH . One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. The report of the Lockerbie Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), which was held at Dumfries in Scotland from October 1990 to February 1991, explained how Pan Am Flight 103 was sabotaged. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . [17], One of the four, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, was allegedly killed in a dr See the press release concerning the guilty plea, See a copy of the signed plea agreement concerning the guilty plea, See a copy of the of the facts proffered by the government to which the defendant admitted guilt under oath, January 20, 2004 - Letters were mailed to victims whose addresses are known to the prosecution. I knew non-Americans could go to their own governments. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. Contact Scott Herhold at sherhold@mercurynews.com or 408-275-0917. They occasionally worked the same flight and ran into each other at layovers. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. . I told the terrorist I wanted some water. I wanted to give the pilots time to escape in case they were still in the process of climbing down the ropes outside the plane. As the result of a 2008 pact between the Bush administration and the Libyan government of Moammar Gadhafi, Dav has received a payment of $3 million. That plot was averted when the pilots climbed out of an emergency cockpit of the Boeing 747. At the center of that showdown is their 16-hour ordeal, during which the gunmen killed 20 passengers and wounded more than 100. The attack, which occurred aboard Pan Am Flight 73 during an airport stopover in Karachi, resulted in the deaths of 20 passengers and crew. "Many have criticised the pilots for leaving the rest of the crew behind, but I was relieved when I saw the pilots were gone, as we were all safer on the ground than we would be in the air. Survivors that later died. Crash, 41 Celebrities Who Have Shared Their Miscarriage Stories, in the Hopes of Helping Others, See PEOPLE's Incredible 20-Year Journey Documenting the Children Whose Dads Died on 9/11, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Eventful Decade: From Their Royal Exit to Baby No. Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Initiative, View a copy of the Court's legal opinion on the availability of the death penalty in this case, See a copy of the Government's Sentencing Memorandum, Transcript of Sentencing Proceeding - May 13, 2004, See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. Become a Member. When the day ended, almost everyone survived the hijack, thanks to Neerja's quick-thinking .