Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. 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 . Ill get to the details in a second. Chandigarh-born Bhanot was the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked in Karachi in 1986. We were put up in a hotel. One person opened the door that led to the wing of the plane. 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. He said of a family of four sitting across the aisle from him: Two of them were killed and the others were wounded.. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. Grubbs was not among the survivors. Dilip Bidichandani, another steward, is adamant that the pilots' escape actually saved more lives. The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. 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. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. That fateful night our tickets were not confirmed. 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. 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. There were huge streaks of light breaking the darkness. Pan Am Flight 73 had just touched down in Karachi after departing from Mumbai, India, and was en route to Germany and then New York when the Palestinian gunmen commandeered it around 6:00 a.m. that fateful September day. When her dead body arrived in Mumbai, she looked fresh and beautiful because all her wounds were on her back.Had there been a VIP or a minister on our plane; all the lives would have been saved. The hearing on motions not related to the death penalty will continue on September 10, 2003, not on June 16, 2003, as previously scheduled. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. 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. . 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 . When our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. The motions hearing will continue on Monday, June 16, 2003. . We were helpless, said Mary George, 37, of Norwalk. The crew of Pan Am Flight 73 (three of whom are pictured here with their colleagues) were all in their early to mid 20s at the time of the hijack. 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 court rescheduled the hearing to continue on Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. August 13, 2003 - Legal arguments were held before Judge Sullivan, with the attorneys for the government and the defense arguing their positions on the government's motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. December 16, 2003 - Defendant Safarini pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to all 95 counts of the superseding indictment against him in connection with the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. These sentences are later commuted to life sentences. 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. 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. On December 21, Pan Am 103 was beginning the second leg of its Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit route. . The gunmen positioned themselves on either side of the aisles. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. (Neerja Bhanot's pictures courtesy: Aneesh Bhanot). The adrenaline was doing its work until I realised I had a major injury. A form was provided for victims to let the prosecution team know if they are interested in attending and/or speaking at the sentencing proceeding. There were 14 flight attendants on board, 12 of whom were preparing for take-off. A passenger informed that his mother had probably had died inside. I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. 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. Years later, the Libyan government admitted having planned the attack and agreed to US demands to pay compensation to the American citizens onboard. That plot was averted when the pilots climbed out of an emergency cockpit of the Boeing 747. Download a PDF reader or learn more about PDFs. KERSHAW, Dorothea, Borrego Springs, Calif. TANEMURA, Roy, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. March 31, 2003 - Defense counsel filed reply briefs concerning motions filed on Feb 10, 2003. 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. 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. Nevertheless, Crowell & Mooring has insisted that the sharing provision applies. Sixteen-month-old Melissa Trahan, on stretcher, is rushed from the scene of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, La. They climbed back in through the door they had come through, and along with Sherene and another colleague, assisted and redirected passengers to the inflated slide. 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. SARP, Aytel, Arlington. At the . 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 . 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. 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. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". After being rushed to the hospital by two Pakistani men at the airport, Gargi Dav slipped into a coma. Her actions led to 359 of the 380 people on-board the plane managing to live through the ordeal. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. A 7-year-old child that Bhanot helped protect went on to become a captain of a major airline and he noted that she was his inspiration. I started running towards the terminus. Pity that she was shot at.". Those who knew and loved these people will never forget the moment they discovered the nearly unbearable truth. He said he was looking for American fighter planes," says Sherene. (Photo: AP) In 2003, Zayd Safrini pleaded guilty to 95 charges which included . The court suspended the hearing before it was completed due to a lack of sufficient interpreters for the defendant. (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. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. Also, a sentencing date will be scheduled (probably for some time in the spring of 2004). 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. 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. 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. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. Victims were also encouraged to submit a victim impact statement and a form was provided to serve as a guide in composing a victim impact statement. New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. It was dark and I was very scared.. Witness is a programme of the . 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. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, The problem with Pablo Escobars hippos. TANEMURA, Aya, Kelowna, Bristish Columbia, ?? Judge Sullivan also recommended that the defendant never receive parole. Neerja Bhanot. "I noticed immediately that the escape devices in the cockpit had been deployed. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. 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. 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. That didnt make sense to Gargi Dav, who read the law firms demands with a trained lawyers eye. Mike was made to sit on the floor, and like the other passengers, keep his hands above his head. As they left the plane, Pratik pointed at his father and cried, Daddy, Daddy!. BKELUND, Christine, New York, flight attendant, HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant, LUKER, Marilyn. . (From top left): Nupoor, Sunshine, Sherene, Dilip. Neerja had been shot in her hip and was bleeding heavily, but was conscious. 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. They had only genuine feelings for us and our country. We found a few people but not all. She hopes that, in speaking out, "we can all connect through our survival stories and form a fabric of power and strength going forward". 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. 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. "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 air conditioner stopped, the lights went off. Today, shes taken a leave from her San Diego-based firm to help with the Flight 73 litigation. 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. I realised I couldnt stand. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. A family from Karachi later got me clothes and shoes. 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.