Those hours were torturous. "This changed everything. The PanAm had also survivors, before the names of the survivors appears a * Content of the page: Crewlist of the PanAm. Amid sobs and applause from victims and relatives of those killed in the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini -- leader of an Abu Nidal terrorist . When the firing stopped, I ran to the front and someone pushed me out from the exit. We take you down the emotional journey "Neerja was standing right next to the exit. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. New Images Released in 1986 Hijacking Case. 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. Safarini was still on board when Pakistan's security forces entered the plane. One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. Print. Nobody knew what to do. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. "The flight attendant smiled throughout the incident despite the fear surrounding her," Mitra said. And Davs attorney, Lee Boyd, says the law firm erred by not expressly including the possibility of a treaty in its Joint Prosecuting Agreement. They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. Sherene, and another colleague Ranee Vaswani, were the last two hostages to leave the plane. Neerja may still be alive if she'd been cared for right away," says Sunshine. (Neerja Bhanot's pictures courtesy: Aneesh Bhanot). They climbed back in through the door they had come through, and along with Sherene and another colleague, assisted and redirected passengers to the inflated slide. Had they not, the terrorists would have taken the flight somewhere and blown up the aircraft. CORNELIUS, MRS. D., Woodland Hill, Calif. HALLDORSON, Raymond, Laguna Hills, Calif. JOHNSTON, Patricia, Newport Beach, Calif. McCULLOUGH, Gertrude, Santa Barbara, Calif. MITCHELL, Walter, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, MITCHELL, Evonne, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. Students who switched tickets escaped the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. He said he was looking for American fighter planes," says Sherene. Each of the men is on the FBIs Most Wanted Terrorists List. 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. The hijacker didn't seem to know much about the plane so he didn't look for it," says Sunshine. "Neerja was put into the ambulance without a stretcher.". Its harder to argue that the international clients the bulk of the Crowell & Moring clients should benefit from a treaty designed to benefit only American victims. It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. LUKER, Marilyn. Pan Am Flight 816 was an international flight from Auckland, New Zealand, to San Francisco, California, via Tahiti, French Polynesia and Los Angeles.It was operated by a Pan Am Boeing 707-321B bearing the registration N417PA and named Clipper Winged Racer.On July 22, 1973, at 10:06 P.M. local time, the Boeing 707 took off from Faa'a International Airport in Papeete. They had only genuine feelings for us and our country. T. M. George, 45, an auto parts store manager, was wounded in the back when he tried to shield his family from gunfire. Scott Herhold is a former San Jose metro columnist. It was dark and I was very scared.. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. 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. September 28, 2001 - Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini, one of the men convicted in Pakistan for his role in the hijacking of Pan Am flight 73, is captured by the FBI shortly after he was released from jail by Pakistan. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. I knew non-Americans could go to their own governments. In a sense, hers is an utterly American stance. And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. I could have run to the terminus. The Indian-born couple had taken their children on a vacation to Bombay and were returning home when the aircraft was commandeered. 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. 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. Joe Biden's Sister Valerie Opens Up: 'We Bleed Like Every Family in America', Pregnant Woman, 25, and Man Who Recently Celebrated His 20th Wedding Anniversary Killed in Mo. The government argues that the death penalty is available for defendant Safarini's violation of the air piracy statute. All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. The other was identified by the State Department on Monday as Surendra Manubhal Patel, 50, of Fullerton, a computer programmer who was returning home from a vacation with his two daughters. Meherjee Kharas, a 28-year-old Pan Am mechanic on board, was forced to make radio contact with negotiators outside. Nupoor tried to comfort the passengers around her while her colleague Dilip Bidichandani took round sandwiches and Neerja distributed water. The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. September 5, 2011- This date marked the 25th anniversary of the tragic hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. The other four defendants convicted in connection with the hijacking remain in jail in Pakistan. There was gunfire. It was an American aircraft and Americans were their target. 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 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. 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. It was a short jump to reach the wing of the plane. A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. 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. She was hit with a bullet in her skull and had injuries on her chest and hands. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. 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. 2023 BBC. He said of a family of four sitting across the aisle from him: Two of them were killed and the others were wounded.. We were aware they took hold of Rajesh, a US national. We don't support landscape mode. He had grenades on him. On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121. 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. Four terrorists took position in four corners of the cabin and started shooting and throwing grenades. 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. I t was September 5, 1986. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. 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. Then, when all the passengers were off the wing, the crew did something remarkable. I hid below the seats so I was saved. Witness is a programme of the . The battle between the Dav group and the law firm is now in arbitration in D.C. KENNER, La. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. When the doors were thrown open, I realised I had jumped onto the wing. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. Calling the fight sad and disheartening, Newberger said the sharing clause was originally put in the agreement to stop infighting among the 178 plaintiffs. Anyone can read what you share. Not hearing any more gunfire, but not knowing where the gunmen were, they went back into the dark plane to look for survivors. 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. When Gala was wheeled off the plane in Los Angeles, clutching her X-rays, her blue polyester slacks and a purple sweater showed the dirt and oil marks of her leap. Neerja Bhanot (7 September 1963 - 5 September 1986) was an Indian purser who died while saving passengers on Pan Am Flight 73 which had been hijacked by terrorists from a terrorist organization during a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan, on 5 September 1986, just two days before her 23rd birthday.Posthumously, she became and remains the youngest recipient of India's highest peacetime gallantry . 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. This was given to the 40-odd American passengers of the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, but not shared with the Indians, including the kin . Suresh GopalkrishnanProfession: Businessman, ChennaiAge: 55I was a carefree and free-spirited 23 year old boy, working with a German company, on my way to Paris. 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 helpless, said Mary George, 37, of Norwalk. (Credits: Solo shots - individuals' own; group shot: Pan Am crew Facebook page), The crew now: (From top left to bottom right), all credits to the individuals) Sherene, Massey, Madhvi, Sunshine, Dilip, Nupoor, Passenger Mike Thexton has praised the flight attendants' bravery, A film has recently been released about Neerja Bhanot, who was fatally injured in the hijack. 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. While they relayed the events to a private FBI meeting a week after the hijack, and to a parole hearing for the lead hijacker in 2005, this is the first time they have shared details with the media. Age: 40Profession: ArtistI was 12 then and travelling with my mother Trupti Dalal. Neerja Bhanot. Security forces laid siege to the New York-bound plane for 16 hours at Karachi airport after the jet was taken over by Palestinian militants on 5 September 1986. Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has learned to cope with unbelievable loss. 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. Los Angeles, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. I realised I was completely drenched in my mothers blood. On Mar. He was shot by the hijackers when, according to some other passengers, he objected to their rough treatment of a flight attendant. On September 5, 1986, Pan Am flight 73, a Boeing 747, departed Mumbai for New York with scheduled stops in Karchi and Frankfurt. Over the next few hours on the upper deck, Safarini let his guard down several times, Sunshine says. We saw another lady, Utpala Desai, coming out seriously injured. 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. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. Judge Sullivan also recommended that the defendant never receive parole. Sunshine called Dilip over to help, and the two carried Neerja to the emergency slide. They are breaking this silence now, they say, because they want to honour and acknowledge the vital roles played by all on board, most of whom are not known to the public. I was drenched in her blood. They let out a war cry," says Sunshine, "and began firing into the crowd. "I may be biased but I feel that day proved that the flight attendants on board were some of the best in the industry.". 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. Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. A certain Mr. Mohammadbhai, a businessman from Karachi, known to a relative of Utpala came to us asking if he could help. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. The terrorists began screaming in Arabic. The latter apparently was not hurt. Being fond of writing, I was jotting down my feelings on a piece of paper. The survivors of the Pan Am 73 hijacked flight say that 'Neerja' unfairly depicts only one side of the story. The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. The terrorists, members of the Abu Nidal organization, had planned to crash the plane into a sensitive Israeli target in Tel Aviv. List of Dead and Survivors on Pan American Plane, https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/29/archives/list-of-dead-and-survivors-on-pan-american-plane.html. Read about our approach to external linking. MUMBAI-Neerja Bhanot died on the night of Sept. 5, 1986, after terrorists killed her for helping passengers escape Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked at Karachi airport, Pakistan. Neerja was standing right next to the exit. 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