Shahs family members, whom he had sent to Bombay to visit friends and relatives, were apparently uninjured. She was killed while helping passengers to escape through emergency exits when hijackers opened fire and set off explosives during the 16-hour ordeal. DE BEAULIEU, Francoise Colbert, New York ?? This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Passengerlist of the PamAm. Mike was made to sit on the floor, and like the other passengers, keep his hands above his head. I will start with the flight a. September 18, 2002 - Attorneys for defendant Safarini file a motion to bar the government from seeking the death penalty against the defendant, arguing that a death sentence in this case would violate the ex post facto clause of the Constitution. It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. 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. June 19, 2000 - The federal court in the District of Columbia grants the government's request to unseal the indictment, thereby making public the pending criminal charges in the United States. ", 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. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. 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. Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. 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. I turned more patriotic, pious and mind you not religious rather spiritual after this incident. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. 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. Sunshine, Madhvi Bahuguna and another flight attendant began collecting passports, quietly avoiding collecting any that were American. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. It showed they were ruthless killers," says Sunshine. The court set a briefing schedule regarding the government's motion to reconsider the death penalty ruling. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. Students who switched tickets escaped the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. One of those survivors was Purser TANEMURA, Aya, Kelowna, Bristish Columbia, ?? The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. Thirty-five students studying abroad with Syracuse University were struck down from the sky on Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988, along with 224 other passengers and eleven Lockerbie residents, victims of a terrorist bombing. 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. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. 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 could see the terrorists walking up and down the aisle, trying to negotiate. Mike Thexton, a passenger on the plane, describes the act in his book What Happened to The Hippy Man? Lynne Carol Hartunian , 21, Schenectady, N.Y. (SUNY Oswego) Anthony Lacey Hawkins , 57 . The flight attendants were supportive, smart and composed throughout. New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. 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. "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has learned to cope with unbelievable loss. Tenerife killing approx. But I opted to carry a young lady, who was severely injured and sadly died in my arms. 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 73 hijacking, takeover of a Pan American World Airways jet on September 5, 1986, by hijackers linked to the Ab Nil Organization. Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment in Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt from . The Boeing 747, known as the Clipper Maid of the Seas, left London Heathrow with 243 passengers and 16 crew members, including 189 Americans. 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. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. The couple grabbed their daughters and ran to the exit, only to find themselves on a wing, 18 feet above the ground, without an escape chute. Victim impact statements should be submitted to the prosecution team by March 1, 2004. Become a Member. "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.". 583 lives were lost when a KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 at Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport (TFN). Her sister could get as much. "They had lost patience. 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.. September 5, 2011- This date marked the 25th anniversary of the tragic hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. It was one of the deadliest airplane crashes in the history of the U.S. Sixteen-month-old Melissa Trahan, on stretcher, is rushed from the scene of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, La. This action was undertaken in coordination with a joint announcement with the U.S. Department of State that the Rewards for Justice Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the four individuals Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki , Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar all believed to have been members of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. 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. But for how long could one possibly bow down? Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. He held the gun in one hand and with the other he gave me water. The letter also contained a handbook entitled "Coping After Terrorism: Information for Victims and Survivors of the Pan Am Flight #73 Hijacking. On March 27, 1977, the most shocking and deadliest air disaster happened, changing the aviation world forever. We were told to raise our hands and sit. The United States Attorney's Office In Your Neighborhood. . That didnt make sense to Gargi Dav, who read the law firms demands with a trained lawyers eye. Judge Sullivan also recommended that the defendant never receive parole. 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. A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. 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. The victims were recognized for their extraordinary bravery during the September 5, 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am . 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. At the International Conference on Cyber Security in New York, FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed how the FBI is evolving to stay ahead of threats in the digital age. Subscribe There were huge streaks of light breaking the darkness. I knew non-Americans could go to their own governments. I realised I was completely drenched in my mothers blood. 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. The government argues that the death penalty is available for defendant Safarini's violation of the air piracy statute. 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. Having failed to find an American, the militants settled for someone British. There was a bloody end - 22 people killed and about 150 injured. 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. DUMFRIES, Scotland (AP) _ Two passengers might have survived the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 had they received the best medical care immediately, a Scottish pathologist testified Wednesday. Three of the hijackers were fleeing the airport when they were caught by airport security. Budget 2023. Many went for it. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! The other 259 people aboard the aircraft died when the bomb blew apart the jetliner Dec. 21, 1988 or were killed by the 30,000-foot fall . "Survivors [of such atrocities] are living each day with the memories," says Madhvi. The four suspectsWadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawarare believed to have been members of the Abu Nidal Organization, which was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State. The other four defendants convicted in connection with the hijacking remain in jail in Pakistan. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Once they finally got to the hospital, the chaos continued, Sherene says. 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. I hid below the seats so I was saved. 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. From there, she went to work as a volunteer lawyer for the Northern California ACLU. Each is sentenced to death. The survivors of the Pan Am 73 hijacked flight say that 'Neerja' unfairly depicts only one side of the story. No matter how much time has passed or the obstacles we encounter,the case agent said, we owe it to the victims and their families to never give up on them.. 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. When no pilot materialised within the hour, Mr Kumar was shot and kicked out of the plane. Unable to fly the plane, the terrorists started by executing an American and dumping his body out the door of the plane. Jenny White's parents Bryan and Margaret were touring the United States, stopping off in New Orleans and preparing to fly to Las Vegas on July 9, 1982. Around four hours into the siege, the hijackers began trying to identify the Americans on board. The Pan Am Flight 73 on its way from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was . 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. Sunshine and Dilip were also on the wing, but in the darkness couldn't gauge the distance of the drop. 19 Jan, 2018, 11.19 PM IST. The case is being investigated by the Bureaus Washington Field Office. We take you down the emotional journey "Neerja was standing right next to the exit. Trahan graduated from Louisiana State University with a major in theater production and moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Disney Studios. He spoke to Witness about that terrible disaster. [17], One of the four, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, was allegedly killed in a dr 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. Get FBI email alerts He caught me doing that and asked whether I was a journalist. 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. 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. April 11, 2003 - A status hearing was held before Judge Sullivan. On December 21 Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Lockerbie after the bombing of a Boeing 747-121.