The Pan Am 73 terrorist attack killed 20 passengers and crew and severely injured more than 100 of the 380 persons on board. The hearing on motions not related to the death penalty will continue on September 10, 2003, not on June 16, 2003, as previously scheduled. Neerja may still be alive if she'd been cared for right away," says Sunshine. The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. Working hard and making money was on my mind until I went through this incident. 'Neerja', an experience of our lives: Pan Am 73 hijack survivor 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. Va., flight attendant. August 28, 2002 - A 95-count superseding indictment is returned by a grand jury in the District of Columbia, charging defendant Safarini and four co-defendants. At least 29 other passengers, including 24 American citizens, were being treated at U.S. military hospitals in West Germany. 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. 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. It was a strange feeling. At one point she looked longingly at the emergency axe in a glass box in the cockpit. 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. It was one of the deadliest airplane crashes in the history of the U.S. Herhold: The heritage of a 24-year-old hijacking A survivor of 1986 Pan Am hijack, Murthy shuddered as the dreadful moment flashed before his eyes. Those hours were torturous. 'I still don't know how I cheated death' - The Telegraph Meherjee Kharas, a 28-year-old Pan Am mechanic on board, was forced to make radio contact with negotiators outside. A family from Karachi later got me clothes and shoes. "Survivors [of such atrocities] are living each day with the memories," says Madhvi. It showed they were ruthless killers," says Sunshine. This action was undertaken in coordination with a joint announcement with the U.S. Department of State that the Rewards for Justice Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the four individuals Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki , Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar all believed to have been members of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization. The two girls narrowly escaped a deadly fusillade. The latter apparently was not hurt. They threw the hand grenades too, one of which fell on my friend Rupal (18), sitting next to me. SARP, Aytel, Arlington. 583 people. 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 . At this stage the hijackers still believed a pilot would be found to fly the plane for them. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. 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. We just started jumping. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. Calling the fight sad and disheartening, Newberger said the sharing clause was originally put in the agreement to stop infighting among the 178 plaintiffs. Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. We were helpless, said Mary George, 37, of Norwalk. He spoke to Witness about that terrible disaster. (Photo: AP) In 2003, Zayd Safrini pleaded guilty to 95 charges which included . We just kept praying.. These sentences are later commuted to life sentences. He was not related to Kuverben Patel, 80, Kumars grandmother, who was also among the passengers killed. Galas son, Bharat, 32, an Orange County motel owner, met her Monday and interpreted for her. FBI Releases Age-Progressed Photos of Four Most Wanted Terrorists from Pan Am Flight 73 Hijacking, MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH KHALIL HUSSAIN AR-RAHAYYAL, FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. October 1, 2001 - Defendant Safarini is brought before a federal judge in Anchorage, Alaska, where he is ordered to be held and transported to the District of Columbia to face the charges pending against him. Significant Events Subscribe It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. 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. Then, when all the passengers were off the wing, the crew did something remarkable. At the airport we identified them and they were captured by the security officials. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. 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. Otherwise wed have panicked. 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. 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. BY xms3200 - Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:04 am. Inside a hijack: The unheard stories of the Pan Am 73 crew 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. Are The "Tenerife" Pan Am Crew Still Living - Airliners.net '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. On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121. A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. Each is sentenced to death. They occasionally worked the same flight and ran into each other at layovers. The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant. Sunshine remained alert. In panic mode, they opened gunfire. I was told to go alone and on my way back, I came across a water dispenser. Even after 30 years, he breaks down at the memory. Meherjee, the mechanic, told Safarini that the emergency power would last 15 minutes or so before the aircraft would be plunged into darkness. The co-pilot who survived the Tenerife aircraft disaster - BBC "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. On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. 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. The Court finds that the ends of justice will be served by allowing the parties additional time to prepare for trial. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. 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. They have thrown every bit of their resources into trying to shut her up.. The next status hearing in the case is now scheduled for Monday May 19, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. The motions hearing will go forward on May 5, 2003. 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. 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. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. The court suspended the hearing before it was completed due to a lack of sufficient interpreters for the defendant. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. When the day ended, almost everyone survived the hijack, thanks to Neerja's quick-thinking . 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. Tenerife killing approx. 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. She slid out upside down.". 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. Her sister could get as much. I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. Clipper 1736 Pan Am 1736 carries 378 passengers, 16 crew, and two Pan Am employees, who boarded in Tenerife and are sitting in the cockpit jumpseats. We were travelling to the USA for a series of performances. Philadelphia, flight attendant, SARP, Aytel, Arlington. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. The terrorists began screaming in Arabic. Pity that she was shot at.". Trahan, dubbed the Miracle Baby of Pan Am Flight 759, was the sole survivor of the crash, sustaining no serious injuries. It was his birthday and he was taking revenge. More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". One was naturalized citizen Rajesh Kumar, 29, of Huntington Beach. 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. My co-passenger, a German national, woke me up informing that our plane was hijacked. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. She went back to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. 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. When the survivors recall the deadly memory, their hearts start racing and their spines become chilled. The Indian-born couple had taken their children on a vacation to Bombay and were returning home when the aircraft was commandeered. How I connect my mother to Neerja is that they both died saving children and at the same time. 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 . 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. Download a PDF reader or learn more about PDFs. 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. 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. Just 61 people survived, all from the Pan Am jumbo jet. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . 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. It was an American aircraft and Americans were their target. Here's What Happened to the Hijackers of Neerja's Pan Am Flight 73 Flight Crew of Hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 Honored at 2006 National Crime "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.". 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. Asked about the role of Pakistani commandos in ending the hijack episode, he said grimly, None of the people saw any commandos., When the lights went out in the plane, he said, the terrorists killed indiscriminately, firing their machine guns from less than a yard away.. That fateful night our tickets were not confirmed. "It was 5th September 1986. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. Four terrorists took position in four corners of the cabin and started shooting and throwing grenades. Spring 2000 - Officials in Pakistan begin making public statements that the jail terms of the hijackers will soon expire. I started running towards the terminus. (Neerja Bhanot's pictures courtesy: Aneesh Bhanot). September 5, 1986 - Hijacking of Pan Am flight #73 in Karachi, Pakistan. A Pan Am 73 Survivor Describes The Last Few Hours Of - IndiaTimes I t was September 5, 1986. Victims' families remember the crash of Pan-American Flight - WAFB Over the next few hours on the upper deck, Safarini let his guard down several times, Sunshine says. The survivors of the Pan Am 73 hijacked flight say that 'Neerja' unfairly depicts only one side of the story. 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. It departed from Los Angeles bound for the . 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 . The court set a briefing schedule regarding the government's motion to reconsider the death penalty ruling. We don't support landscape mode. Her sister suffered severe damage to her feet when she leapt from the plane. 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. These charges will serve as the basis for the upcoming criminal trial of defendant Safarini. One of the four hijackers, Mrs. George recalled, said Americans killed his wife and whole family. 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. We were even scared to look at him.. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. The "Shatter Zone" Portion Of The Reconstructed Fuselage Of Pan Am Flight 103, Which Exploded Over Lockerbie In 1988 Is On Display January 31, 2001. 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. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. The plane, a Boeing 707, returning from San Juan, Puerto Rico, made a stop in Baltimore to refuel before continuing to Philadelphia to drop off the last of its passengers. I could see the terrorists walking up and down the aisle, trying to negotiate. Once the death penalty issue is resolved, including any appeal, if one is filed, a new trial date will be set. Hijack victims' 24-year ordeal continues - Los Angeles Times The hijacking of Flight 73 was a botched precursor to 9/11. And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". After 33 years, the tragedy is still haunting. Neerja was standing right next to the exit. These were the 2 cockpit observers who may as well be considered passengers, 2 flight attendants, and 12 passengers. Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. Sunshine called Dilip over to help, and the two carried Neerja to the emergency slide. We were put up in a hotel. 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. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. "They had lost patience. Suffice it to say there are many shades of gray. One of those survivors was Purser It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. As evening set in, the on-board power supply started to dwindle, the lights got dimmer and the cool air stopped circulating. Members Only. I could have run to the terminus. Become a Member. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. He told the four men that the airport authorities were looking for pilots to fly them where they needed to go. After a short break all the Flight 73 crew returned to Pan Am for at least a few years. Sherene and Sunshine were the cabin crew who spent the most time with lead hijacker Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. Lynn Hartunian, 21, who was a student at SUNY Oswego, was one of the passengers killed on Pan Am Flight 103. Pan Am Flight 816 | Detailed Pedia He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. KERSHAW, Dorothea, Borrego Springs, Calif. TANEMURA, Roy, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. When the airhostess were asked to collect our passports, she was smart enough to not collect the US passports. 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. 25th 1977, two 747's crashed into each other in. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Lynne Carol Hartunian , 21, Schenectady, N.Y. (SUNY Oswego) Anthony Lacey Hawkins , 57 . 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. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. TANEMURA, Aya, Kelowna, Bristish Columbia, ?? More than three decades after a bomb pierced the evening sky over Lockerbie, Scotland, the Syracuse University community carries on a tradition to honor the 35 study-abroad students killed on Pan Am Flight 103. September 18, 2002 - Attorneys for defendant Safarini file a motion to bar the government from seeking the death penalty against the defendant, arguing that a death sentence in this case would violate the ex post facto clause of the Constitution. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. We take you down the emotional journey "Neerja was standing right next to the exit. August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. One of the terrorists picked up the baby and started strutting up and down with a machine gun in his hand and a rifle hanging from his shoulder. Contact Scott Herhold at sherhold@mercurynews.com or 408-275-0917. 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 .