Sixteen-month-old Melissa Trahan, on stretcher, is rushed from the scene of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, La. The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. 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. Outside, four gunmen had sped on to the tarmac in a van disguised as airport security. He joked and flirted, invited her to go with him to Cyprus, and promised to teach her to swim. A family from Karachi later got me clothes and shoes. The hijacker didn't seem to know much about the plane so he didn't look for it," says Sunshine. 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. At the airport we identified them and they were captured by the security officials. As they left the plane, Pratik pointed at his father and cried, Daddy, Daddy!. These were the 2 cockpit observers who may as well be considered passengers, 2 flight attendants, and 12 passengers. 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. The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. "Survivors [of such atrocities] are living each day with the memories," says Madhvi. Ill get to the details in a second. Irja Skabo, 38, was one of Pan Am's more experienced stewardesses and she often worked in the first class cabin. 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 . But for how long could one possibly bow down? At least 29 other passengers, including 24 American citizens, were being treated at U.S. military hospitals in West Germany. 2023 BBC. 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. Pan Am Flight 759 went down shortly after takeoff in a Kenner neighborhood on July 9, 1982, killing all 145 on board. When the firing stopped, I ran to the front and someone pushed me out from the exit. They pushed her down first, then jumped out themselves. 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. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. 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And in any case, at least the three pilots were safe. THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant. Read about our approach to external linking. "The stories may differ but the spirit remains the same.". Neerja Bhanot. Nearly 361 passengers, ground crew and 13 flight attendants spent 16 . August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. Interim status hearing dates were set for February 18, 2004, and April 14, 2004. The letter also contained a handbook entitled "Coping After Terrorism: Information for Victims and Survivors of the Pan Am Flight #73 Hijacking. 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. The stench of her blood haunts me even today. Aside from one sharp kick, he says, he was not physically mistreated and eventually escaped with others in the later chaos. The Dav sisters scampered over the top of the seats to find the emergency exit as the gunfire and grenades erupted. Twenty people killed, more than 100 injured. A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. 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. 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. 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. Sonam Kapoor's Neerja has brought alive memories of the braveheart Neerja Bhanot. She could have easily been the first one to escape but she chose to push everyone else out. It was a strange feeling. Unable to fly the plane, the terrorists started by executing an American and dumping his body out the door of the plane. The Indian-born couple had taken their children on a vacation to Bombay and were returning home when the aircraft was commandeered. The Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. Once the death penalty issue is resolved, including any appeal, if one is filed, a new trial date will be set. The court date of November 17, 2003, which had previously been set as a date to hear arguments on legal motions not related to the death penalty, has been converted to a status conference. 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. Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. Musician Nayan Pancholi recounts how he lost his eye but survived the Pan Am flight hijack in 1986. Contact Scott Herhold at sherhold@mercurynews.com or 408-275-0917. Shahs family members, whom he had sent to Bombay to visit friends and relatives, were apparently uninjured. My friend was drenched in blood. I could see the terrorists walking up and down the aisle, trying to negotiate. There were 14 flight attendants on board, 12 of whom were preparing for take-off. 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. 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. On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, India sees 'Neerja' again. Not hearing any more gunfire, but not knowing where the gunmen were, they went back into the dark plane to look for survivors. Forty minutes into the flight, the plane had reached the coast of Scotland. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. I lay down on my family, my small child and other baby . The court set a briefing schedule regarding the government's motion to reconsider the death penalty ruling. One of the four hijackers, Mrs. George recalled, said Americans killed his wife and whole family. 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. BY xms3200 - Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:04 am. Subscribe Meherjee, the mechanic, told Safarini that the emergency power would last 15 minutes or so before the aircraft would be plunged into darkness. 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. Today, shes taken a leave from her San Diego-based firm to help with the Flight 73 litigation. "It was chaotic, like a war zone, in there. Also known as Fatah-The Revolutionary Council, it is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, Israel and the European Union. Eventually the militants threatened that, as a pilot had not materialised, a passenger would be shot every 15 minutes. 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. 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. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". 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. Just 61 people survived, all from the Pan Am jumbo jet. We had a screening of Neerja for the survivors. "Neerja was put into the ambulance without a stretcher.". emailStay Connected There was a buzz that they had a time bomb on them, which could explode. One of the survivors and also eyewitness of hijacked Pan-Am flight in the year 1986. Dilip Bidichandani, another steward, is adamant that the pilots' escape actually saved more lives. We were told to raise our hands and sit. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. Survivors of a 1986 terrorist attack on Pan Am 73 in Pakistan faced a nightmare together. My mother was trying to save me while Neerja saved other children.I wanted to use the loo. It shocked the world, and is the subject of a newly released film, but the surviving crew have until now remained silent. 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. 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. When the doors were thrown open, I realised I had jumped onto the wing. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. Meanwhile, inside the plane, 29-year-old American passenger Rajesh Kumar was pulled out of his seat and made to kneel in front of one of the open doors, with a gun to his head. April 11, 2003 - A status hearing was held before Judge Sullivan. Also, a sentencing date will be scheduled (probably for some time in the spring of 2004). She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. 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. 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. (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News). The crash killed all 146 other people aboard the plane, as well as eight Kenner residents, including Trahans mother and 4-year-old sister. 583 people. Philadelphia, flight attendant. She hopes that, in speaking out, "we can all connect through our survival stories and form a fabric of power and strength going forward". The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. The Pan Am captain's name was Victor Grubbs. I thought we were going to die, George said. Neerja seemed like just any other airhostess until we reached Karachi and the terrorists took over. We were even scared to look at him.. The other hijackers were released from their Pakistani jail in 2008, against the wishes of India and the US. 25th 1977, two 747's crashed into each other in. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. 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. He caught me doing that and asked whether I was a journalist. 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 spokeswoman said anyone calling the State Department for information about a permanent resident would have been advised to call the embassy representing the passengers nationality. ", 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. This is where the fine print matters. Safarini was still on board when Pakistan's security forces entered the plane. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. He had been on a climbing expedition in northern Pakistan to say goodbye to his elder brother Pete, a doctor who had died during . The survivors of the Pan Am 73 hijacked flight say that 'Neerja' unfairly depicts only one side of the story. But U.S. consulate officers go out to hospitals and airports to help U.S. citizens in distress. 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. When the lights did go out, all the flight attendants and passengers were in the middle section of the cabin, several seated on the ground in the aisles and near the doors. 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 Bhanot. I wanted to save my family.. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. Her older sister is a physician with a practice in Southern California.
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