"I may be biased but I feel that day proved that the flight attendants on board were some of the best in the industry.". All have coped in different ways. "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.". At the . Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. "My mother died while shielding and protecting me. Those who knew and loved these people will never forget the moment they discovered the nearly unbearable truth. 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. I realised I had survived. Neerja Bhanot. 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. He joked and flirted, invited her to go with him to Cyprus, and promised to teach her to swim. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head.. 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. The other hijackers were released from their Pakistani jail in 2008, against the wishes of India and the US. Age: 40Profession: ArtistI was 12 then and travelling with my mother Trupti Dalal. October 17, 1990. He made me wear a burkha and we stepped out as the security wasnt allowing me to step out. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". 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. 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. But win or lose, what strikes me is how a 10-year-old victim has grown up to be an intelligent and passionate young lawyer willing to take on a big international law firm that has threatened her with legal reprisals. Massey had already exited down the slide just moments earlier, taking three unaccompanied children with him. Profession: Chief Finance OfficerI was 23 then. Courtesy Gargi Dave -- A ten-year-old Gargi Dave, left, is kissed and comforted by her mother, Niru in the Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Budget 2023. Pity that she was shot at. We were put up in a hotel. She slid out upside down.". These charges will serve as the basis for the upcoming criminal trial of defendant Safarini. Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. He showed so much grace in trouble, barring borders and perceptions. We were informed that all those who hadnt made it to the tarmac had died inside the aircraft. September 5, 1986 - Hijacking of Pan Am flight #73 in Karachi, Pakistan. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. KENNER, La. He was shot by the hijackers when, according to some other passengers, he objected to their rough treatment of a flight attendant. 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. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Column: Did the DOJ just say Donald Trump can be held accountable for Jan. 6? 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. 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. One lady amongst us, Trupti, complained of a headache. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, The problem with Pablo Escobars hippos. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. Once the death penalty issue is resolved, including any appeal, if one is filed, a new trial date will be set. 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. 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. "On occasion he would hold my hair, force my face to the window and ask what I could see on the tarmac. View a copy of the Court's legal opinion on the availability of the death penalty in this case. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Somehow I managed to escape from the aircraft. They occasionally worked the same flight and ran into each other at layovers. Victim impact statements should be submitted to the prosecution team by March 1, 2004. The only two American citizens confirmed killed were Orange County residents. About 7:00 pm on December 21, Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 en route to New York City from . 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. "Neerja was an excellent airhostess. At one point she looked longingly at the emergency axe in a glass box in the cockpit. One was naturalized citizen Rajesh Kumar, 29, of Huntington Beach. The terrorists, members of the Abu Nidal organization, had planned to crash the plane into a sensitive Israeli target in Tel Aviv. Fellow attendant Sunshine Vesuwala saw one of the hijackers grab a colleague, Neerja Bhanot, and put a gun to her head. I wanted to save my family.. 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. 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. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. One of the hijackers removed a blanket and covered her with it because she was wearing a short skirt. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. They have thrown every bit of their resources into trying to shut her up.. Thats when the aggressive terrorist came up to us with his gun, warning us not to talk. 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. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. 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 . 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. He also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign the defendant to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax. 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. Neerja swayed the terrorists to allow us to use the washroom telling them that the passengers would cooperate better if they were allowed. 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. Witness is a programme of the . They also want people to know they dearly miss their colleagues Neerja Bhanot and Meherjee Kharas. The $5 million reward is offered through the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program. The fundamental issue is whether the sisters are showing great courage in standing up to a big law firm for what should be theirs or whether they are, in essence, greedy. Members Only. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment in Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt from . 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. Just 61 people survived, all from the Pan Am jumbo jet. Bloodstain is seen on one of the wings of the Pan Am jetliner on the Karachi Airport, Pakistan on 6 September 1986. The powerful emotions that stick in Gargi Davs 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 survival with the resolve not to be victimized again. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . One of the hijackers removed a blanket and covered her with it because she was wearing a short skirt. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. September 9 - 10, 2003 - The Court postponed the hearing on legal motions that are not related to the death penalty until November 17, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., and scheduled a status conference for October 2, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. October 2, 2003 - A status conference was held before Judge Sullivan and another status conference was scheduled for October 21, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. October 21, 2003 - A status conference was held before Judge Sullivan and another status conference was scheduled for November 12, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. I thought we were going to die, George said. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. 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. ", See a copy of the Sentencing Response Form, See a copy of the Victim Impact Statement Form, 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. Otherwise wed have panicked. Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. "It was 5th September 1986. Neerja Bhanot. They gave us strength. The Sentencing Response Form should be submitted by February 12, 2004. But Pan-American Flight 759 crashed . DE BEAULIEU, Francoise Colbert, New York ?? By law, the government will have 30 days to decide whether to appeal this ruling. Even after 30 years, he breaks down at the memory. The shooting began when the hijackers fired in panic as the lights went out in the Boeing 747 on a runway in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday. The battle between the Dav group and the law firm is now in arbitration in D.C. 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. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. Over the next few hours on the upper deck, Safarini let his guard down several times, Sunshine says. Having failed to find an American, the militants settled for someone British. 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. 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. 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. The law firms own 25 percent fees also figure in the debate. Around 4 pm, we were served some cold drinks and snacks.The most incredible memory is that of Neerja gesturing the passengers to hide their American passports. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the FBI or submit a tip at https://tips.fbi.gov. How I connect my mother to Neerja is that they both died saving children and at the same time. They made 300 passengers move to the front of the economy cabin. A former international cross-country skier who acted as a ski instructor to . 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. More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. But, Pan Am Flight 214 . The stench of her blood haunts me even today. 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. 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 . Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. We went back inside trying to exit from another door during which we lost each other. 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. He had grenades on him. 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. New Images Released in 1986 Hijacking Case. I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. "This changed everything. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, A $150,000 executive protection dog? 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 . 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. Captain Robert Bragg was the co-pilot aboard the Pan Am plane, and was one of the few who survived the collision. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. In 1986, Pakistani terrorists hijacked a US-bound plane in a drama that left 22 passengers dead. December 3, 2009 - The FBI announced that it has added the four fugitive hijackers to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". Nearly 361 passengers, ground crew and 13 flight attendants spent 16 . On September 5, 1986, Thexton boarded Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi. 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. A plea proceeding date was set for Tuesday, December 16, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. and the status hearing previously scheduled for November 17, 2003, has been canceled. He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. Info stolen in Oakland ransomware attack set to be released, In fentanyl overdose case, police uncovered video evidence Martinez man molested multiple girls, feds say, Popular East Bay taco truck at risk of being uprooted from spot it has occupied for 16 years, Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his wife and son, Dear Abby: I love my wife but I think I better get divorced, Bobcat seen using Highway 17 wildlife crossing hours after it opens, Harriette Cole: She has gone too far with the remote work option, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Miss Manners: I felt bad that they all skipped her baby shower -- and then I found out why, Drought is now over in more than half of California, including the Bay Area, feds say, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Kurtenbach: An unlikely combo could prove huge for the Warriors down the stretch, Wife of popular Wild 94.9 radio host JV says new information suggests 'he will not be coming back', California extends Bay Area tax deadlines to match IRS, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Nobody knew what to do. I hid below the seats so I was saved. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. Also, a sentencing date will be scheduled (probably for some time in the spring of 2004). They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. I became more courageous and confidant to face any situation in life later.Neerja was an excellent airhostess. "The hijack is far from over for me and my colleagues. Nupoor and Madhvi slipped off the edge of the wing, fracturing bones as they hit the tarmac around 20 feet (6 metres) below. Another Southern Californian who died was Kala Singh, a resident alien who lived in La Jolla.