They gave us strength. When the day ended, almost everyone survived the hijack, thanks to Neerja's quick-thinking . At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. Neerja Bhanot. Va., flight attendant, THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant, TORRECH, Miguel, New York, flight attendant. He also recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign the defendant to the Administrative Maximum facility in Florence, Colorado, also referred to as "SuperMax. I realised I had survived. Lynn Hartunian, 21, who was a student at SUNY Oswego, was one of the passengers killed on Pan Am Flight 103. I had a bullet injury on the right leg and the whole of the left leg up to my thigh was burnt with the grenade. That didnt seem right., Stuart Newberger, the lead lawyer for Crowell & Moring, has said in a court filing that he considers the Davs case to be an attempt to increase the recovery of some members of the victim group obviously at the expense of the others.. The FBI is hoping to generate new leads with the release of new age-progressed images of four alleged hijackers involved in a 1986 attack in Pakistan that killed two Americans. March 31, 2003 - Defense counsel filed reply briefs concerning motions filed on Feb 10, 2003. 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. I turned more patriotic, pious and mind you not religious rather spiritual after this incident. They were at every exit trying to push us out of the aircraft. My mother was trying to save me while Neerja saved other children.I wanted to use the loo. Aside from one sharp kick, he says, he was not physically mistreated and eventually escaped with others in the later chaos. By law, the government will have 30 days to decide whether to appeal this ruling. . Chandigarh-born Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked in Karachi in 1986. We landed on the wing. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Defendant Safarini will be held in prison pending trial. Neerja swayed the terrorists to allow us to use the washroom telling them that the passengers would cooperate better if they were allowed. T. M. George, 45, an auto parts store manager, was wounded in the back when he tried to shield his family from gunfire. On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. She went back to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. Neerja Bhanot. Print. Captain Robert Bragg was the co-pilot aboard the Pan Am plane, and was one of the few who survived the collision. It was his birthday and he was taking revenge. 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. 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast: Where Are They Now? And Davs attorney, Lee Boyd, says the law firm erred by not expressly including the possibility of a treaty in its Joint Prosecuting Agreement. The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . The law firms own 25 percent fees also figure in the debate. 583 lives were lost when a KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 at Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport (TFN). Joani and Jack sat in first . Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the FBI or submit a tip at https://tips.fbi.gov. The crash killed all 146 other people aboard the plane, as well as eight Kenner residents, including Trahans mother and 4-year-old sister. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. BKELUND, Christine, New York, flight attendant, HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant, LUKER, Marilyn. 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. Unable to fly the plane, the terrorists started by executing an American and dumping his body out the door of the plane. Khanjan Dalal, who survived the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986, has lauded Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja". In the past several weeks, the Indian and Indian-American victims of the Pan Am 73 flight have renewed their efforts in both Washington and New Delhi, pushing the two governments to get them the . The two girls narrowly escaped a deadly fusillade. On December 21, Pan Am 103 was beginning the second leg of its Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit route. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. The hijacking of Flight 73 was a botched precursor to 9/11. The Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO) is a Palestinian militant group, now considered largely inactive. They had only genuine feelings for us and our country. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. He made me wear a burkha and we stepped out as the security wasnt allowing me to step out. The terrorists began screaming in Arabic. LUKER, Marilyn. Then, when all the passengers were off the wing, the crew did something remarkable. The Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. 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. 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. In a sense, hers is an utterly American stance. Her actions led to 359 of the 380 people on-board the plane managing to live through the ordeal. Its always been an active case of ours, saidthe leadFBI agenton the case. 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. He caught me doing that and asked whether I was a journalist. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, The problem with Pablo Escobars hippos. 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 . April 10, 2003 - The Court issued a legal opinion, ruling that the death penalty is not available in this case. Earlier Monday, Arun Athavale of Mission Viejo, a computer engineer, arrived here on an American Airlines plane and was met by his wife, Prati, and son, Agay, 4. See Her Life in Photos, Mickey Guyton and Grant Savoy's Relationship Timeline, Girl, 11, Speaks Out After Dad's Bear Hug Saves Her Life in Airplane Crash, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan's Relationship Timeline, The Cutest Longterm Celebrity Couple Throwback Photos, All of Princess Diana's PEOPLE Magazine Covers Through the Years, Shaquille O'Neal and Ex Shaunie's Relationship Timeline, On the 110th Anniversary of Titanic's Sinking, Revisit Chilling Tales of Life and Death from the PEOPLE Archives. 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. "I may be biased but I feel that day proved that the flight attendants on board were some of the best in the industry.". 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. After a short break all the Flight 73 crew returned to Pan Am for at least a few years. KERSHAW, Dorothea, Borrego Springs, Calif. TANEMURA, Roy, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. 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. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! We were told to raise our hands and sit. It shocked the world, and is the subject of a newly released film, but the surviving crew have until now remained silent. The gunmen positioned themselves on either side of the aisles. January 2008 - Pakistan reportedly released from jail the remaining four hijackers who had been convicted in 1988. 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 great eye opener though was the compassion shown by Pakistanis. March 10, 2003 - Attorneys for both sides filed briefs in response to the motions and notices filed on February 10, 2003. Shahs family members, whom he had sent to Bombay to visit friends and relatives, were apparently uninjured. It was an American aircraft and Americans were their target. 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. Gargi Dave was among the survivors of a shootout aboard a jetliners hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. 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. It showed they were ruthless killers," says Sunshine. 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. I realised I couldnt stand. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . There were huge streaks of light breaking the darkness. Remembering Neerja Bhanot on hijacked Pan Am Flight 73. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". Sunshine remained alert. She could have easily been the first one to escape but she chose to push everyone else out. We were travelling to the USA for a series of performances. I started running towards the terminus. 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. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. When our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. Gargi woke up three days later. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". Making sure that victims of crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. There was a bloody end - 22 people killed and about 150 injured. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. He joked and flirted, invited her to go with him to Cyprus, and promised to teach her to swim. . 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. The Pan Am 73 terrorist attack killed 20 passengers and crew and severely injured more than 100 of the 380 persons on board. Today, the California sisters, along with several other passengers from Flight 73, are locked in a legal struggle with the law firm that represented them in the battle to win damages from the government of Libya, which funded the hijackers. I became more courageous and confidant to face any situation in life later.Neerja was an excellent airhostess. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. She hopes that, in speaking out, "we can all connect through our survival stories and form a fabric of power and strength going forward". New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. This is where the fine print matters. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. But U.S. consulate officers go out to hospitals and airports to help U.S. citizens in distress. 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.