"The flight attendant smiled throughout the incident despite the fear surrounding her," Mitra said. Once they finally got to the hospital, the chaos continued, Sherene says. 'Flight 73' is a Non-fiction, based on the true events that had happened on 6th September, 1986 while Pan-Am Clipper 73 was hijacked on the ground in Karachi, Pakistan. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at [email protected]. Three lives would be saved.". He showed so much grace in trouble, barring borders and perceptions. Neerja's colleagues say she was still alive when she arrived at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. BY xms3200 - Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:04 am. He also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign the defendant to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax. Gargi Dav argues that they could file in foreign courts. He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. 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. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. Later, as Pakistani commandos prepared to raid, the gunmen opened fire inside the cabin. Years later, the Libyan government admitted having planned the attack and agreed to US demands to pay compensation to the American citizens onboard. Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has learned to cope with unbelievable loss. Remembering Neerja Bhanot on hijacked Pan Am Flight 73. Sherene and Sunshine were the cabin crew who spent the most time with lead hijacker Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, India sees 'Neerja' again. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. At this stage the hijackers still believed a pilot would be found to fly the plane for them. Scott Herhold is a former San Jose metro columnist. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. 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. The couple grabbed their daughters and ran to the exit, only to find themselves on a wing, 18 feet above the ground, without an escape chute. If we didnt speak up for ourselves, I cant tell you how victimized we would feel, she said. They also shed light on the last few hours of Neerja Bhanot, their colleague who died in the attack and is the subject of the new film. Among them was Kankuben Gala, 67, of Tustin, who also was in a wheelchair. Neerja Bhanot was the only crew member to be awarded posthumous bravery awards by India and Pakistan, The Pakistani authorities released the leader of the hijackers, Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini, in September 2001, but he was quickly recaptured by the US, Safarini is 12 years into his 160-year sentence in a US prison. 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. 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 Pan Am Flight 73 on its way from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was . No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. Following is a partial list of the casualties on Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked Friday in Karachi, Pakistan, as made public yesterday by Pan American World Airways. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". After being rushed to the hospital by two Pakistani men at the airport, Gargi Dav slipped into a coma. Gargi Dave was among the survivors of a shootout aboard a jetliners hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. Grubbs was not among the survivors. I realised I was completely drenched in my mothers blood. HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant. Print. Gari Dave is now a Sunnyvale attorney and she is representing a group of other survivors who are fighting to keep millions in restitution paid to the survivors by the Libyan government, who admitted involvement in the hijacking. At least 29 other passengers, including 24 American citizens, were being treated at U.S. military hospitals in West Germany. On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. Become a Member. Neerja Bhanot. It was an American aircraft and Americans were their target. Over the next few hours on the upper deck, Safarini let his guard down several times, Sunshine says. Those hours were torturous. 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. This 747-121 was a big one, the kind with a second-floor lounge at the front of the plane where passengers could sit and have a drink. Being fond of writing, I was jotting down my feelings on a piece of paper. He stopped me from writing. We were asked to hold our hands behind and bow down. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. Pan Am Flight 73 had just touched down in Karachi after departing from Mumbai, India, and was en route to Germany and then New York when the Palestinian gunmen commandeered it around 6:00 a.m. that fateful September day. All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. The university's annual Remembrance Week, which runs October 20-26, features a candlelight vigil . Eventually the militants threatened that, as a pilot had not materialised, a passenger would be shot every 15 minutes. In 2010, the couple welcomed a daughter, Melanie naming their baby girl after Trahans late mother. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. 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. Aside from one sharp kick, he says, he was not physically mistreated and eventually escaped with others in the later chaos. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The defendant's response will be due on May 30, 2003, and the government's reply will be due on June 16, 2003. The Joint Prosecuting Agreement has language that may protect the law firm and cut against the Dav sisters. After the crash, Trahan and her father, who was working when the plane hit, moved away from Kenner to be closer to family. He spoke to Witness about that terrible disaster. BKELUND, Christine, New York, flight attendant, HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant, LUKER, Marilyn. (In group shot - far left): Massey. Outside, four gunmen had sped on to the tarmac in a van disguised as airport security. They threw the hand grenades too, one of which fell on my friend Rupal (18), sitting next to me. Judge Sullivan also recommended that the defendant never receive parole. There was a bloody end - 22 people killed and about 150 injured. The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. But U.S. consulate officers go out to hospitals and airports to help U.S. citizens in distress. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. December 3, 2009 - The FBI announced that it has added the four fugitive hijackers to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. 2023 BBC. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, The problem with Pablo Escobars hippos. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. I climbed back into the aircraft and then ran to the rear exit. 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. Those who knew and loved these people will never forget the moment they discovered the nearly unbearable truth. The other hijackers were released from their Pakistani jail in 2008, against the wishes of India and the US. Her sister could get as much. He caught me doing that and asked whether I was a journalist. The case is being investigated by the Bureaus Washington Field Office. One was naturalized citizen Rajesh Kumar, 29, of Huntington Beach. It's been over 25 years since the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73, in Karachi, Pakistan, and a number of survivors are renewing their calls to Congress for compensation from the Foreign Claims . They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. 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. 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. . For her part, Gargi firmly rejects the notion that she is trying to put herself ahead of any other victim. Trahan graduated from Louisiana State University with a major in theater production and moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Disney Studios. 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. Today, shes taken a leave from her San Diego-based firm to help with the Flight 73 litigation. emailStay Connected Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. The flight attendants were supportive, smart and composed throughout. 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. 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. But a New York law firm is trying to wrest 90 percent of the settlement away from Dave and nine other survivors. After a short break all the Flight 73 crew returned to Pan Am for at least a few years. We put her in the ambulance. At one point she looked longingly at the emergency axe in a glass box in the cockpit. "It was 5th September 1986. On that night, Dec. 8, 1963, Flight 214, a Pan American Airways Boeing 707, was returning to the U.S. from from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Captain Robert Bragg was the co-pilot aboard the Pan Am plane, and was one of the few who survived the collision. It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. The next status hearing in the case is now scheduled for Monday May 19, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. We were travelling to the USA for a series of performances. We were put up in a hotel. We sat in that position for almost three hours.After a point we couldnt help but plead them to let us use the washrooms. I was wondering if the Pan Am pilots are still living, or even the cabin crew. On September 5, 1986, Thexton boarded Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi. I cant imagine what the babys mother must have gone through then.When people began escaping, the terrorists, who initially walked in wearing airport security uniforms, changed their clothes and tried to escape with the rest of us. June 16, 2003 - The government filed its reply brief in support of its motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. Those who were sitting straight got shot in the legs while others who had ducked got shot in the heads as their guns were pointed downwards. 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 . They had only genuine feelings for us and our country. We went back inside trying to exit from another door during which we lost each other. The Pan Am captain's name was Victor Grubbs. Contact Scott Herhold at [email protected] or 408-275-0917. Then I was pushed gently from an exit and I landed on the tarmac. A 7-year-old child that Bhanot helped protect went on to become a captain of a major airline and he noted that she was his inspiration. He joked and flirted, invited her to go with him to Cyprus, and promised to teach her to swim. The two girls narrowly escaped a deadly fusillade. They let out a war cry," says Sunshine, "and began firing into the crowd. Jenny White's parents Bryan and Margaret were touring the United States, stopping off in New Orleans and preparing to fly to Las Vegas on July 9, 1982. We stood still and numb, long after the end credits rolled. The FBI is hoping to generate new leads with the release of age-progressed images of four alleged terrorists involved in the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Pakistan that killed two Americans. Some survivors of the ill-fated PanAm flight 73 recount the sordid memories of that September day in 1986 when . The Indian-born couple had taken their children on a vacation to Bombay and were returning home when the aircraft was commandeered. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. 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. The great eye opener though was the compassion shown by Pakistanis. That incident changed my outlook towards life. 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. KENNER, La. March 27, 1977 is a date permanently etched in aviation history. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. The letter also contained a handbook entitled "Coping After Terrorism: Information for Victims and Survivors of the Pan Am Flight #73 Hijacking. July 21, 2003 - The court began hearing arguments on the government's motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The powerful emotions that stick in Gargi Dav's heart and mind from the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 nearly a quarter-century ago mix the horrific with the unexpectedly kind, the blessing of . And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. She could have easily escaped first but she chose to push everyone else out. One of the hijackers removed a blanket and covered her with it because she was wearing a short skirt. 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. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. Trahan, dubbed the Miracle Baby of Pan Am Flight 759, was the sole survivor of the crash, sustaining no serious injuries. Nearly 30 years after the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 at Karachi airport, six of the plane's crew have spoken to the media for the first time. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . Chandigarh-born Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked in Karachi in 1986. She slid out upside down.". But for how long could one possibly bow down? The way I looked at life changed.I remember the terrorists dashing in from the front door near the pantry, holding Neerja at gun point. Her older sister is a physician with a practice in Southern California. 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. Subscribe The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. I was drenched in her blood. One of those survivors was Purser I told the terrorist I wanted some water. Can religion save us from Artificial Intelligence? From there, she went to work as a volunteer lawyer for the Northern California ACLU. We saw another lady, Utpala Desai, coming out seriously injured. (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News). Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. We were told to raise our hands and sit. Gargi Dav (pronounced Dah-VAY) is now a 34-year-old attorney who lives in Sunnyvale. The hijacking of Flight 73 was a botched precursor to 9/11. September 5, 2011- This date marked the 25th anniversary of the tragic hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. "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. June 19, 2000 - The federal court in the District of Columbia grants the government's request to unseal the indictment, thereby making public the pending criminal charges in the United States. More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. TORRECH . 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. They didn't discuss the hijack. We were informed that all those who hadnt made it to the tarmac had died inside the aircraft. Read about our approach to external linking. I turned more patriotic, pious and mind you not religious rather spiritual after this incident. At the . The answer: "We are Pan Am Flight 914 en route from New York to Miami, Florida, with a crew of 4 and 57 passengers on board." At this point, the control tower personnel were stunned in silence. I will start with the flight a. The $5 million reward is offered through the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program. 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 . 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 . 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. Witness is a programme of the . Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. A survivor of 1986 Pan Am hijack, Murthy shuddered as the dreadful moment flashed before his eyes. Suffice it to say there are many shades of gray. Age: 40Profession: ArtistI was 12 then and travelling with my mother Trupti Dalal. 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. Joani and Jack sat in first . 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. New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. Earlier Monday, Arun Athavale of Mission Viejo, a computer engineer, arrived here on an American Airlines plane and was met by his wife, Prati, and son, Agay, 4. He had grenades on him. A certain Mr. Mohammadbhai, a businessman from Karachi, known to a relative of Utpala came to us asking if he could help. 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. Survivors of a 1986 terrorist attack on Pan Am 73 in Pakistan faced a nightmare together. These charges will serve as the basis for the upcoming criminal trial of defendant Safarini. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! They made 300 passengers move to the front of the economy cabin. One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. When the survivors recall the deadly memory, their hearts start racing and their spines become chilled. Once the death penalty issue is resolved, including any appeal, if one is filed, a new trial date will be set. March 31, 2003 - Defense counsel filed reply briefs concerning motions filed on Feb 10, 2003. I experienced compassion from a stranger, that too a Pakistani. An official website of the United States government. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. And in any case, at least the three pilots were safe. PARKER, Isabella, Capistrano Bench, Calif. PENKSTAFF, Mrs. Charles San Diego, Calif. SEACRIST, Katherine, Lthaina. . (Neerja Bhanot's pictures courtesy: Aneesh Bhanot). She was killed while helping passengers to escape through emergency exits when hijackers opened fire and set off explosives during the 16-hour ordeal. Dark Mode. April 10, 2003 - The Court issued a legal opinion, ruling that the death penalty is not available in this case. He said he was looking for American fighter planes," says Sherene. The attack on Pan Am Flight 73 resulted in the murder of 20 passengers and crew, including two Americans; the attempted murder of 379 passengers and crew; and the wounding of more than 100 . Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. Outside on the tarmac, Pan Am's Karachi director Viraf Doroga used a megaphone to begin negotiations with the hijackers. 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 Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. I knew we couldnt jump down from the high wing. Survivors that later died. I was told to go alone and on my way back, I came across a water dispenser. That didnt seem right., Stuart Newberger, the lead lawyer for Crowell & Moring, has said in a court filing that he considers the Davs case to be an attempt to increase the recovery of some members of the victim group obviously at the expense of the others..
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