"My first instinct was to open the wing exit and slip out with as many passengers as I could, but I realised that this would leave the rest of the passengers vulnerable," then flight attendant Nupoor Abrol told BBC News. 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. 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. Neerja Bhanot. We were informed that all those who hadnt made it to the tarmac had died inside the aircraft. Joani and Jack sat in first . SARP, Aytel, Arlington. "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. Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. Captain Robert Bragg was the co-pilot aboard the Pan Am plane, and was one of the few who survived the collision. "See a copy of the Government's Sentencing Memorandum, See a copy of the text of the prosecutors' allocution narrative during the sentencing proceeding, View the PowerPoint presentation shown by the prosecutors during the sentencing proceeding, Read the Government's press release concerning the sentencing, See a copy of the Transcript of Sentencing Proceeding - May 12, 2004, See a copy of the Transcript of Sentencing Proceeding - May 13, 2004, Week of July 5, 2004 - Defendant Safarini was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax.". New Images Released in 1986 Hijacking Case. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. I had a bullet injury on the right leg and the whole of the left leg up to my thigh was burnt with the grenade. Download a PDF reader or learn more about PDFs. Her actions led to 359 of the 380 people on-board the plane managing to live through the ordeal. "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". Gargi woke up three days later. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. How much is naturally a matter of debate. The Court will allow the government to file additional briefs on some of the pending legal motions by April 22, 2003, and the attorneys for the defendant will be permitted to file any responding briefs by April 29, 2003. After the terrorists opened fire, I lay down flat fearing I could get killed any moment. KERSHAW, Dorothea, Borrego Springs, Calif. TANEMURA, Roy, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Those hours were torturous. It was blamed for a string of attacks in the 1970s and 80s, killing and wounding hundreds of people, The Pan Am crew were recognised with courage awards by the airline in 1986, the US Department of Justice in 2005 and the US attorney general in 2006. Herhold: The heritage of a 24-year-old hijacking, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early. Now, a tangle of lawsuits over $150 million in compensation from Libya is pitting them against one another. I will start with the flight a. Neerja was standing right next to the exit. She could have easily been the first one to escape but she chose to push everyone else out. Some Southlanders will not be coming home. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. 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. It was just before 06:00 and Pan Am Flight 73, on a stopover in Karachi from Mumbai, was scheduled to continue on to Frankfurt, en route to New York. She slid out upside down.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Column: Did the DOJ just say Donald Trump can be held accountable for Jan. 6? Sherene says she knew then that time was running out. One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. These charges will serve as the basis for the upcoming criminal trial of defendant Safarini. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Fellow attendant Sunshine Vesuwala saw one of the hijackers grab a colleague, Neerja Bhanot, and put a gun to her head. (Neerja Bhanot's pictures courtesy: Aneesh Bhanot). New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. 19 Jan, 2018, 11.19 PM IST. Age: 50Profession: BusinessmanI was 21 then. Her sister could get as much. See a copy of the superseding indictment. TANEMURA, Aya, Kelowna, Bristish Columbia, ?? This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. At the . The defendant's response will be due on May 30, 2003, and the government's reply will be due on June 16, 2003. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. In the past several weeks, the Indian and Indian-American victims of the Pan Am 73 flight have renewed their efforts in both Washington and New Delhi, pushing the two governments to get them the . My father, Kalpesh Dalal, was extremely disturbed. The court rescheduled the hearing to continue on Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. August 13, 2003 - Legal arguments were held before Judge Sullivan, with the attorneys for the government and the defense arguing their positions on the government's motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. 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. At the center of that showdown is their 16-hour ordeal, during which the gunmen killed 20 passengers and wounded more than 100. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. Survivors that later died. Many went for it. TORRECH . Some survivors of the ill-fated PanAm flight 73 recount the sordid memories of that September day in 1986 when . T. M. George, 45, an auto parts store manager, was wounded in the back when he tried to shield his family from gunfire. Each is sentenced to death. But Pan-American Flight 759 crashed . After 33 years, the tragedy is still haunting. Pan Am flight 103, also called Lockerbie bombing, flight of a passenger airliner operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, after a bomb was detonated. In 1986, Pakistani terrorists hijacked a US-bound plane in a drama that left 22 passengers dead. At Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport, a KLM 747 initiated takeoff without air traffic control clearance and smashed into a Pan Am 747 waiting on the runway, resulting in 583 fatalities. Then, when all the passengers were off the wing, the crew did something remarkable. Aside from one sharp kick, he says, he was not physically mistreated and eventually escaped with others in the later chaos. A passenger informed that his mother had probably had died inside. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. The elderly woman, a resident of a village outside Bombay, had been on her way to Southern California with Kumar and Kumars aunt, Gangaben Patel. The United States Attorney's Office In Your Neighborhood. She could have easily escaped first but she chose to push everyone else out. November 7, 2001 - The Court finds that, due to the complexity of the case, it would be unreasonable to expect the parties to prepare for trial within the time limits established by the Speedy Trial Act (usually 70 days). Survivors of a 1986 terrorist attack on Pan Am 73 in Pakistan faced a nightmare together. We were told to raise our hands and sit. Had they not, the terrorists would have taken the flight somewhere and blown up the aircraft. Pan Am flight 73 hijacking, takeover of a Pan American World Airways jet on September 5, 1986, by hijackers linked to the Ab Nil Organization. I realised I had survived. A family from Karachi later got me clothes and shoes. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. He also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign the defendant to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax. "Neerja was put into the ambulance without a stretcher.". When the survivors recall the deadly memory, their hearts start racing and their spines become chilled. As they left the plane, Pratik pointed at his father and cried, Daddy, Daddy!. He spoke to Witness about that terrible disaster. 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. If you wish to contact the FBI case agent assigned to this matter, Special Agent Michael OCallaghan, any of the prosecutors handling this matter, Jennifer Levy, Gregg Maisel or Robert Bowman, or victim-witness advocate Yvonne Bryant you may do so at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. We stood still and numb, long after the end credits rolled. As soon as his prayer was over, they started firing indiscriminately. The Georges two daughters, 8-year-old Priti, and 3-month-old Priya Joyce, apparently were unhurt, but the baby fell from her mothers arms as the family scrambled out on a wing to escape and the parents said they planned to have her examined by a physician here. I t was September 5, 1986. We went to all the hospitals looking for our people. What Colombia plans for their descendants, Messy storms roll eastward after slamming Texas, Louisiana, Ukrainians dig up more bodies from makeshift graves in once-occupied towns, New crew from U.S, Russia and UAE arrives at space station, Two Americans arrested on charges of selling tech to Russia. The stench of her blood haunts me even today. The Dav sisters scampered over the top of the seats to find the emergency exit as the gunfire and grenades erupted. When our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. The Joint Prosecuting Agreement has language that may protect the law firm and cut against the Dav sisters. The Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO), which they were members of, was opposed to US and Israeli policy in the Middle East. We went back inside trying to exit from another door during which we lost each other. He had been on a climbing expedition in northern Pakistan to say goodbye to his elder brother Pete, a doctor who had died during . 2023 BBC. Well, kind of, Video shows Memphis jailers beating Black inmate before his death, Skin lesion removed from President Bidens chest last month was cancerous, doctor says, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Latinx Files: In praise of Jenna Ortega, Aubrey Plaza and moody, deadpan Latinas. The other 259 people aboard the aircraft died when the bomb blew apart the jetliner Dec. 21, 1988 or were killed by the 30,000-foot fall . We saw another lady, Utpala Desai, coming out seriously injured. She hopes that, in speaking out, "we can all connect through our survival stories and form a fabric of power and strength going forward". As part of that agreement, the Dav sisters signed a document called a Joint Prosecuting Agreement, which obligated them to share money from any judgments with all the Crowell & Moring plaintiffs, including non-Americans. The gunmen's plan was to force the pilots to fly them to Cyprus and Israel, where other members of their militant group were incarcerated on terror charges. At the airport we identified them and they were captured by the security officials. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. If we run across information about someone else, said the spokeswoman, who did not want to be identified, were not averse to passing it on. 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 . In the chaos and darkness, at least three doors had been opened, though it is not clear by whom. Three lives would be saved.". At the conclusion of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan sentenced the defendant to three consecutive life terms plus 25 years, for a total of 160 years. Dark Mode. An official website of the United States government. Even after 30 years, he breaks down at the memory. After a short break all the Flight 73 crew returned to Pan Am for at least a few years. Thats when the aggressive terrorist came up to us with his gun, warning us not to talk. . PARKER, Isabella, Capistrano Bench, Calif. PENKSTAFF, Mrs. Charles San Diego, Calif. SEACRIST, Katherine, Lthaina. We sat in that position for almost three hours.After a point we couldnt help but plead them to let us use the washrooms. While on a routine stopover in Pakistan, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by four armed Palestinian terrorists. Print. After being rushed to the hospital by two Pakistani men at the airport, Gargi Dav slipped into a coma. Chandigarh-born Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked in Karachi in 1986. BKELUND, Christine, New York, flight attendant, HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant, LUKER, Marilyn. 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.. Gargi Dav argues that they could file in foreign courts. Janki Vyas VasantProfession: Founder of Samvedna, an NGOAge: 51At the tender age of 20, I saw death so closely, losing two of my close friend and a teacher. Neerja may still be alive if she'd been cared for right away," says Sunshine. 25-30 passengers were killed and a large number were injured. A total of 112 survivors of Flight 73 had arrived in the United States late Sunday, landing at New York's Kennedy International Airport, where they were met by relatives, friends, reporters and . The only two American citizens confirmed killed were Orange County residents. 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. The Court finds that the ends of justice will be served by allowing the parties additional time to prepare for trial. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. From there, she went to work as a volunteer lawyer for the Northern California ACLU. n the afternoon of Dec. 21, 1988, Syracuse University student Matthew Trento walked into New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, ready to make what he thought would be a routine connection between a Pan Am flight and a Piedmont plane bound for Syracuse. The gunmen positioned themselves on either side of the aisles. One hundred seventy-six passengers, estates, and family members who were victims of the September 5, 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan filed suit today against Libya and the individuals convicted of launching the attack. 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast: Where Are They Now? When the day ended, almost everyone survived the hijack, thanks to Neerja's quick-thinking . No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. 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. We found a few people but not all. On December 21, 1988, their 20-year-old daughter, Theodora, was one of 270 people killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 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. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. May 19, 2003 - A status hearing was held during which the Court decided to vacate (cancel) the September 8th trial date, pending the resolution of the government's motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. Lynne Carol Hartunian , 21, Schenectady, N.Y. (SUNY Oswego) Anthony Lacey Hawkins , 57 . After the crash, Trahan and her father, who was working when the plane hit, moved away from Kenner to be closer to family. We used to give up that position for a bit, or talk and whisper to each other. Still wearing the looks of terror, and in some cases their bloodied clothes and bandages, Southern California survivors of the hijacking of Pan American Flight 73 began coming home Monday. Having failed to find an American, the militants settled for someone British. A certain Mr. Mohammadbhai, a businessman from Karachi, known to a relative of Utpala came to us asking if he could help. Share it now! Sonam Kapoors Neerja has brought alive memories of the braveheart Neerja Bhanot. "My mother died while shielding and protecting me. 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. He held the gun in one hand and with the other he gave me water. Similar findings are made by the Court on May 3, 2002, and again on November 1, 2002. Some survivors of the ill-fated PanAm flight 73 recount the sordid memories of that September day in 1986 when the airhostess gave up her life in the line of duty. 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. The motions hearing will go forward on May 5, 2003. Trahan graduated from Louisiana State University with a major in theater production and moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Disney Studios. The following is a ast of known survivors of the Pan American Boeing 747 involved in the Canary Island crash as provided Monday to The Associated Press by Pan Am officials: CULBERTSON, Slcohen, Green Valley, Arizona. April 10, 2003 - The Court issued a legal opinion, ruling that the death penalty is not available in this case. And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. Nobody knew what to do. There were huge streaks of light breaking the darkness. 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. By India Today Web Desk: On this day, exactly 31 years ago, a young flight attendant named Neerja Bhanot boarded Pan Am Flight 73 that would be hijacked on its way to the United States of America. When the survivors recall the deadly memory, their hearts start racing and their spines become chilled. That fateful night our tickets were not confirmed. I knew non-Americans could go to their own governments. The Indian-born couple had taken their children on a vacation to Bombay and were returning home when the aircraft was commandeered. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121. She died heroically, saving Pan Am passengers from terrorists on Sept. 5, 1986. Pan Am Flight 759 went down shortly after takeoff in a Kenner neighborhood on July 9, 1982, killing all 145 on board. HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant. Massey had already exited down the slide just moments earlier, taking three unaccompanied children with him. We put her in the ambulance. 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. There was gunfire. The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. Become a Member. I saw Neerja closely when she was collecting passports and another time when they were serving us refreshments.When the terrorists opened fire, my mother fell down injured,while trying to protect and shield me from the bullets. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. But, Pan Am Flight 214 . January 2008 - Pakistan reportedly released from jail the remaining four hijackers who had been convicted in 1988. They then went through the bags of passports they had collected, secretly sifting out any remaining American ones and tucking them under their seats or concealing them in their clothing. Two of the six remain in the industry. Another Southern Californian who died was Kala Singh, a resident alien who lived in La Jolla. She persuaded them to let the children drink water too. He said of a family of four sitting across the aisle from him: Two of them were killed and the others were wounded.. Not hearing any more gunfire, but not knowing where the gunmen were, they went back into the dark plane to look for survivors. Neerja Bhanot. 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. Though Gargi had to take medication for years because of her head injury, she excelled in college and went on to graduate from the USC School of Law. The pact the Bush administration signed with the Libyan government, which dismissed all other existing lawsuits, applied only to the American passengers on Flight 73, who were in a distinct minority. Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. I became more courageous and confidant to face any situation in life later.Neerja was an excellent airhostess. The other four defendants convicted in connection with the hijacking remain in jail in Pakistan. Grubbs was not among the survivors. She had been shot in the lower left leg as she rushed to an emergency exit and her back and neck were injured when she jumped down to the tarmac. . "This changed everything. THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. I experienced compassion from a stranger, that too a Pakistani. Read a copy of the handbook "Coping After Terrorism: Information for Victims and Survivors of Pan Am Flight #73 Hijacking May 12-13, 2004 - A sentencing proceeding was held before Judge Sullivan, attended by more than 50 victims and family members, many of whom provided powerful and emotional statements during the two-day proceeding. He made me wear a burkha and we stepped out as the security wasnt allowing me to step out. Doctors did not think shed recover. Under the plea agreement announced in court, the government has agreed not to litigate further the Courts prior ruling that the death penalty was not available in this case in exchange for Safarini agreeing to the following terms, among other things: (1) a guilty plea to all 95 counts of the indictment; (2) an agreement that Safarini will be sentenced to the maximum term of imprisonment on each count, with some counts to run consecutively and some to run concurrently, for a total sentence of three consecutive life sentences plus 25 years, which is equivalent to 160 years in prison; (3) an agreement that, as the result of the consecutive sentencing, there will be no mandatory parole release date for Safarini during his lifetime; (4) an acknowledgment that, despite the fact that Safarini will have a right to parole proceedings under governing law at the time the hijacking took place, the government intends to oppose his release on parole at any time during his lifetime; (5) an agreement by Safarini to waive any appeal of the sentence, to waive any collateral attack on the plea or the sentence and to forego any motion for reduction of sentence; and (6) an agreement that Safarini will cooperate whenever, and in whatever form, the United States shall reasonably request, including by testifying against his co-defendants, if and when any of them comes into United States custody.