Survivors that later died. Now, a tangle of lawsuits over $150 million in compensation from Libya is pitting them against one another. And their battle offers a fascinating glimpse at the conflicts that erupt between victims and their lawyers. It was a short jump to reach the wing of the plane. 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 . Her older sister is a physician with a practice in Southern California. . The Pan Am captain's name was Victor Grubbs. After being rushed to the hospital by two Pakistani men at the airport, Gargi Dav slipped into a coma. Get FBI email alerts On September 5, 1986, Pan Am flight 73, a Boeing 747, departed Mumbai for New York with scheduled stops in Karchi and Frankfurt. After the terrorists opened fire, I lay down flat fearing I could get killed any moment. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. Some Southlanders will not be coming home. Pity that she was shot at. Her sister could get as much. Somehow I managed to escape from the aircraft. As soon as his prayer was over, they started firing indiscriminately. 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. When the survivors recall the deadly memory, their hearts start racing and their spines become chilled. Murdaughs fall from grace ends in a life sentence for murder, CPAC shows the GOP has deep divisions that may prove impossible to repair, Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome, Black Vietnam veteran finally awarded Medal of Honor, Toxic forever chemicals about to get their first U.S. limits, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Best coffee city in the world? The United States Attorney's Office In Your Neighborhood. 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. He repeatedly led either Sunshine or Sherene at gunpoint up to the upper deck cockpit, using them as human shields while he peeked round them to have a look outside. "I noticed immediately that the escape devices in the cockpit had been deployed. Their guns were on silent, so we didnt realise he was killed and thrown out. No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. He was shot by the hijackers when, according to some other passengers, he objected to their rough treatment of a flight attendant. (Karen T. Borchers/Mercury News). The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. "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.". 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. In panic mode, they opened gunfire. I could have run to the terminus. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. And in any case, at least the three pilots were safe. 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. Sunshine, Madhvi Bahuguna and another flight attendant began collecting passports, quietly avoiding collecting any that were American. One of the four hijackers, Mrs. George recalled, said Americans killed his wife and whole family. It was a strange feeling. Neerja was standing right next to the exit. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant. 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 . Well, kind of, Video shows Memphis jailers beating Black inmate before his death, Skin lesion removed from President Bidens chest last month was cancerous, doctor says, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Latinx Files: In praise of Jenna Ortega, Aubrey Plaza and moody, deadpan Latinas. The gunmen positioned themselves on either side of the aisles. From there, she went to work as a volunteer lawyer for the Northern California ACLU. Three of the hijackers were fleeing the airport when they were caught by airport security. 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 . MUMBAI-Neerja Bhanot died on the night of Sept. 5, 1986, after terrorists killed her for helping passengers escape Pan Am Flight 73 hijacked at Karachi airport, Pakistan. When the airhostess were asked to collect our passports, she was smart enough to not collect the US passports. 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. A 16-hour standoff at Jinnah International Airport in Karchi ended with 22 hostages dead and some 150 injured. Had the terrorists got all the US passports initially, the picture could have been different and even more drastic.One baby was crying continuously. 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. The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. The two girls narrowly escaped a deadly fusillade. "This changed everything. Had they not, the terrorists would have taken the flight somewhere and blown up the aircraft. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. If you have any questions regarding the legal proceedings in this case, please contact us at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. Most . 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. 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. Suresh GopalkrishnanProfession: Businessman, ChennaiAge: 55I was a carefree and free-spirited 23 year old boy, working with a German company, on my way to Paris. After the crash, Trahan and her father, who was working when the plane hit, moved away from Kenner to be closer to family. 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. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. I was so fortunate to be surrounded by a loving family, including my grandparents from both sides, she told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in an interview highlighting the anniversary of the tragedy. Other terrified passengers had jumped down on top of her at Karachi, she explained. There was a buzz that they had a time bomb on them, which could explode. TANEMURA, Aya, Kelowna, Bristish Columbia, ?? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He stopped me from writing. 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. She died heroically, saving Pan Am passengers from terrorists on Sept. 5, 1986. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But a New York law firm is trying to wrest 90 percent of the settlement away from Dave and nine other survivors. 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. Become a Member. . Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. Also, a sentencing date will be scheduled (probably for some time in the spring of 2004). Pity that she was shot at.". More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date. 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. 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. 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. 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. "The flight attendant smiled throughout the incident despite the fear surrounding her," Mitra said. Nobody knew what to do. 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. An official website of the United States government. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head.. Neerja's colleagues say she was still alive when she arrived at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. 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. I thought we were going to die, George said. Also known as Fatah-The Revolutionary Council, it is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, Israel and the European Union. The crash killed all 146 other people aboard the plane, as well as eight Kenner residents, including Trahans mother and 4-year-old sister. Sherene says she knew then that time was running out. A former international cross-country skier who acted as a ski instructor to . September 5, 1986 - Hijacking of Pan Am flight #73 in Karachi, Pakistan. 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. One of the hijackers removed a blanket and covered her with it because she was wearing a short skirt. All have coped in different ways. 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. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, The problem with Pablo Escobars hippos. It took a tremendous amount of courage, said her attorney, Boyd. 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. Dilip Bidichandani, another steward, is adamant that the pilots' escape actually saved more lives. Gargi Dave was among the survivors of a shootout aboard a jetliners hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. Bloodstain is seen on one of the wings of the Pan Am jetliner on the Karachi Airport, Pakistan on 6 September 1986. He told the four men that the airport authorities were looking for pilots to fly them where they needed to go. I hid below the seats so I was saved. 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.. Become a Member. The hijacker didn't seem to know much about the plane so he didn't look for it," says Sunshine. 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. "That day, knowingly or unknowingly, we came together as a team and played our parts to the best of our ability," says Massey Casper, another steward. Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! We were put up in a hotel. After complaints by families in the United States that they had been unable to get accurate information about their kin on the jetliner, a spokeswoman for a State Department task force said American consular officials were empowered only to deal with U.S. citizens. 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. 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. The flight attendants were supportive, smart and composed throughout. The Pan Am 73 terrorist attack killed 20 passengers and crew and severely injured more than 100 of the 380 persons on board. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. You can argue that setting aside the lawsuit brought by Crowell & Moring was one of the benefits to Libya in signing a pact and therefore that the lawyers deserve some payment for their work. Gargi Dav (pronounced Dah-VAY) is now a 34-year-old attorney who lives in Sunnyvale. Va., flight attendant. 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. Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America. as "extremely brave, selfless and clever". The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. 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 pilot picked up on her second attempt and she relayed the hijack code. They also want people to know they dearly miss their colleagues Neerja Bhanot and Meherjee Kharas. When the day ended, almost everyone survived the hijack, thanks to Neerja's quick-thinking . 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. Philadelphia, flight attendant, SARP, Aytel, Arlington. They threw the hand grenades too, one of which fell on my friend Rupal, sitting next to me. They saw another door had been deployed in automatic, which meant that the emergency slide was inflated. 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.. Members Only. 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. 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 motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. But Pan-American Flight 759 crashed . She could have easily escaped first but she chose to push everyone else out. The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. Nevertheless, Crowell & Mooring has insisted that the sharing provision applies. Documents on this page are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. Share it now! We were told to raise our hands and sit. The Pan Am Flight 73 on its way from Mumbai to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt was . She slid out the exit upside down. 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. One of the survivors and also eyewitness of hijacked Pan-Am flight in the year 1986. On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016, India sees 'Neerja' again. Khanjan Dalal, who survived the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986, has lauded Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja". They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. We had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes for a transport vehicle to carry my mothers coffin. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. But if they accede to the demands of the law firm, Crowell & Moring, to share the money with the 137 non-Americans in the case, the Davs estimate they would lose 90 percent of the money negotiated for them. The PanAm had also survivors, before the names of the survivors appears a * Content of the page: Crewlist of the PanAm. He caught me doing that and asked whether I was a journalist. 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. Lynne Carol Hartunian , 21, Schenectady, N.Y. (SUNY Oswego) Anthony Lacey Hawkins , 57 . They made 300 passengers move to the front of the economy cabin. Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has learned to cope with unbelievable loss. Tenn., flight attendant, JOHNSON, Caria, New York City, flight attendant, WARNS, Grores, Blairstown, N.J., flight engineer, See the article in its original context from. Otherwise wed have panicked. I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. If we didnt speak up for ourselves, I cant tell you how victimized we would feel, she said. The Sentencing Response Form should be submitted by February 12, 2004. Her actions led to 359 of the 380 people on-board the plane managing to live through the ordeal. Our tickets got confirmed at the last moment on Pan-Am Flight-73, which was headed from Mumbai to New York, via Karachi and Frankfurt. '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. At this stage the hijackers still believed a pilot would be found to fly the plane for them. PARKER, Isabella, Capistrano Bench, Calif. PENKSTAFF, Mrs. Charles San Diego, Calif. SEACRIST, Katherine, Lthaina. (Photo: AP) In 2003, Zayd Safrini pleaded guilty to 95 charges which included . Irja Skabo, 38, was one of Pan Am's more experienced stewardesses and she often worked in the first class cabin. 583 lives were lost when a KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 at Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport (TFN). The passenger plane crashed in a residential area of Kenner soon after . They let out a war cry," says Sunshine, "and began firing into the crowd. Victim impact statements should be submitted to the prosecution team by March 1, 2004. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. Still wearing the looks of terror, and in some cases their bloodied clothes and bandages, Southern California survivors of the hijacking of Pan American Flight 73 began coming home Monday. Ill get to the details in a second. 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. 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.