I realised I had survived. I wanted to save my family.. 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. "I noticed immediately that the escape devices in the cockpit had been deployed. Some survivors of the ill-fated PanAm flight 73 recount the sordid memories of that September day in 1986 when the airhostess gave up her life in the line of duty. There were 14 flight attendants on board, 12 of whom were preparing for take-off. She died heroically, saving Pan Am passengers from terrorists on Sept. 5, 1986. 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. I was part of the Avishakar Academy Of Performing Arts. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. Outside, four gunmen had sped on to the tarmac in a van disguised as airport security. The law firms own 25 percent fees also figure in the debate. Then we were told to rest our heads on our hands and bend down. Survivors that later died. He had grenades on him. She hopes that, in speaking out, "we can all connect through our survival stories and form a fabric of power and strength going forward". I knew if I didnt speak up for myself, this would haunt me for the rest of my life.. 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. I could see the terrorists walking up and down the aisle, trying to negotiate. She still lives on through the ultimate courage - saving lives at cost of her own. The terrorists began screaming in Arabic. Many went for it. Print. She could have easily escaped first but she chose to push everyone else out. 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. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. September 5, 1986 - Hijacking of Pan Am flight #73 in Karachi, Pakistan. Flight attendant Sherene Pavan, who was out of sight of the militants, heard the commotion, reached for the intercom and pressed the emergency number to the cockpit. '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. Her spirit lives inside of me, and so does my sisters, she said of her mom in an interview with local station WWLTV marking the 20th anniversary of the crash. She slid out upside down.". Share it now! Pity that she was shot at.". Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. Nevertheless, Crowell & Mooring has insisted that the sharing provision applies. We were informed that all those who hadnt made it to the tarmac had died inside the aircraft. "The flight attendant smiled throughout the incident despite the fear surrounding her," Mitra said. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head.. It shocked the world, and is the subject of a newly released film, but the surviving crew have until now remained silent. 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. Become a Member. February 12, 2003 - Legal arguments were held before Judge Sullivan, with the attorneys for the government and the defense arguing their positions on the defendant's motion seeking to bar the death penalty in this case. Gargi Dav argues that they could file in foreign courts. 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. We were asked to hold our hands behind and bow down. Va., flight attendant, THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant, TORRECH, Miguel, New York, flight attendant. I was told to go alone and on my way back, I came across a water dispenser. No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. 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. Most . (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. "My mother died while shielding and protecting me. He said he was looking for American fighter planes," says Sherene. Khanjan Dalal, who survived the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986, has lauded Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja". Working hard and making money was on my mind until I went through this incident. Gargi woke up three days later. She was killed while helping passengers to escape through emergency exits when hijackers opened fire and set off explosives during the 16-hour ordeal. 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. The hearing on motions not related to the death penalty will continue on September 10, 2003, not on June 16, 2003, as previously scheduled. 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. 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. Trahan, dubbed the Miracle Baby of Pan Am Flight 759, was the sole survivor of the crash, sustaining no serious injuries. Neerja may still be alive if she'd been cared for right away," says Sunshine. In a sense, hers is an utterly American stance. Being fond of writing, I was jotting down my feelings on a piece of paper. View a copy of the Court's legal opinion on the availability of the death penalty in this case. It was one of the deadliest airplane crashes in the history of the U.S. I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. 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. Neerja Bhanot. 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. 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. "This changed everything. April 10, 2003 - The Court issued a legal opinion, ruling that the death penalty is not available in this case. The United States Attorney's Office In Your Neighborhood. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. But I opted to carry a young lady, who was severely injured and sadly died in my arms. Around four hours into the siege, the hijackers began trying to identify the Americans on board. Herhold: The heritage of a 24-year-old hijacking, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early. 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. And Davs attorney, Lee Boyd, says the law firm erred by not expressly including the possibility of a treaty in its Joint Prosecuting Agreement. But for how long could one possibly bow down? We don't support landscape mode. 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. Courageous crew members like Sunshine went back into the plane to look for survivors when the gunfire ceased and found . Each is sentenced to death. Shahs family members, whom he had sent to Bombay to visit friends and relatives, were apparently uninjured. Khanjan Dalal, who survived the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986, has lauded Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja" a biopic on Neerja Bhanot, the flight bursar who lost her life while saving others on the hijacked flight. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. For her part, Gargi firmly rejects the notion that she is trying to put herself ahead of any other victim. At the . We were even scared to look at him.. 25-30 passengers were killed and a large number were injured. 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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. Sonam Kapoors Neerja has brought alive memories of the braveheart Neerja Bhanot. Gargi Dave was among the survivors of a shootout aboard a jetliners hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. . 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. 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We were ready to take what was coming, because there was nothing else we could do. Nupoor saw them shoot near the feet of a colleague, shouting at her to lock the door. Dark Mode. Just 61 people survived, all from the Pan Am jumbo jet. The FAI report concluded that Pan Am 103's 16 crew and 243 named passengers, including Bernt Wilmar Carlsson (born on 21 November 1938 and residing at Apartment 30, 207 West 106th Street, New York, New York 10025 . I was drenched in her blood. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. DE BEAULIEU, Francoise Colbert, New York ?? When our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. Safarini, mid-joke, caught her and immediately pointed the gun at her head. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. On Pan Am 1736, seven of the 16-member flight crew, along with two company employees and 61 passengers, survived, although nine later died of their injuries. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment in Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt from . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. See a copy of the superseding indictment. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. Massey had already exited down the slide just moments earlier, taking three unaccompanied children with him. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. 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. How much is naturally a matter of debate. 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. 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. Neerja seemed like just any other airhostess until we reached Karachi and the terrorists took over. 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. By law, the government will have 30 days to decide whether to appeal this ruling. 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.. It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. On December 21, 1988, their 20-year-old daughter, Theodora, was one of 270 people killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. 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. I told the terrorist I wanted some water. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. He held the gun in one hand and with the other he gave me water. In the chaos and darkness, at least three doors had been opened, though it is not clear by whom. March 10, 2003 - Attorneys for both sides filed briefs in response to the motions and notices filed on February 10, 2003. Some Southlanders will not be coming home. Sherene, and another colleague Ranee Vaswani, were the last two hostages to leave the plane. At the sentencing in the spring of 2004, 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. It was dark and I was very scared.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. Pan Am officials said 16 survivors of the hijacking were booked on the plane that arrived in Los Angeles from New York on Monday afternoon. We just started jumping. On September 5, 1986, Thexton boarded Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi. The Pan Am Flight 73 on its way from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was . They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. Neerja's colleagues say she was still alive when she arrived at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, India sees 'Neerja' again. WILLIAMS, Norman; RO Palos Verdes, Calif. BRAGG, Robert, Howard Beach, N. Y., first officer, DONOVAN, Susanne, Harrisburg, Pa., flight attendant, GRUBBS, Victor, Centerport, L.I., captain, JACKSON, Joan, Nashville. Three of the hijackers were fleeing the airport when they were caught by airport security. 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. My mother was trying to save me while Neerja saved other children.I wanted to use the loo. Bloodstain is seen on one of the wings of the Pan Am jetliner on the Karachi Airport, Pakistan on 6 September 1986. A sentencing date is now set for May 12, 2004. Similar findings are made by the Court on May 3, 2002, and again on November 1, 2002. 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. December 12, 2002 - The government files a notice of its intent to seek the death penalty against defendant Safarini, as well as a legal brief in response to defendant Safarini's motion seeking to bar the availability of the death penalty in this case. Maybe, it was a sign from God to avoid flying but somehow we managed to take the flight. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. 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. (From top left): Nupoor, Sunshine, Sherene, Dilip. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! 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. Sunshine called Dilip over to help, and the two carried Neerja to the emergency slide. Pan Am flight 73 hijacking, takeover of a Pan American World Airways jet on September 5, 1986, by hijackers linked to the Ab Nil Organization. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". The hijacking of Flight 73 was a botched precursor to 9/11. Forty minutes into the flight, the plane had reached the coast of Scotland. A certain Mr. Mohammadbhai, a businessman from Karachi, known to a relative of Utpala came to us asking if he could help. PARKER, Isabella, Capistrano Bench, Calif. PENKSTAFF, Mrs. Charles San Diego, Calif. SEACRIST, Katherine, Lthaina. While on a routine stopover in Pakistan, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by four armed Palestinian terrorists. That incident changed my outlook towards life. Her husband, Sadanand Singh, said she was killed when she threw herself in front of her son and daughter. 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. Fellow attendant Sunshine Vesuwala saw one of the hijackers grab a colleague, Neerja Bhanot, and put a gun to her head. The great eye opener though was the compassion shown by Pakistanis. 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. October 2, 2001 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned before Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in the District of Columbia and pleads not guilty to each of the counts in the indictment. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. Nearly 361 passengers, ground crew and 13 flight attendants spent 16 . THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant. They were at every exit trying to push us out of the aircraft. The only two American citizens confirmed killed were Orange County residents. The survivors of the Pan Am 73 hijacked flight say that 'Neerja' unfairly depicts only one side of the story. The Georges two daughters, 8-year-old Priti, and 3-month-old Priya Joyce, apparently were unhurt, but the baby fell from her mothers arms as the family scrambled out on a wing to escape and the parents said they planned to have her examined by a physician here. Although the hijackers had closed the doors and lowered the shutters earlier, the air conditioning and lights had been on. January 2008 - Pakistan reportedly released from jail the remaining four hijackers who had been convicted in 1988. . "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. The crash killed all 146 other people aboard the plane, as well as eight Kenner residents, including Trahans mother and 4-year-old sister. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. The passenger plane crashed in a residential area of Kenner soon after . 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. She went back to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. "On occasion he would hold my hair, force my face to the window and ask what I could see on the tarmac. The government argues that the death penalty is available for defendant Safarini's violation of the air piracy statute. I was wondering if the Pan Am pilots are still living, or even the cabin crew. It was his birthday and he was taking revenge. 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 . 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. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. "My first instinct was to open the wing exit and slip out with as many passengers as I could, but I realised that this would leave the rest of the passengers vulnerable," then flight attendant Nupoor Abrol told BBC News.