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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. As soon as his prayer was over, they started firing indiscriminately. Aside from one sharp kick, he says, he was not physically mistreated and eventually escaped with others in the later chaos. Galas son, Bharat, 32, an Orange County motel owner, met her Monday and interpreted for her. September 28, 2001 - Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini, one of the men convicted in Pakistan for his role in the hijacking of Pan Am flight 73, is captured by the FBI shortly after he was released from jail by Pakistan. At this stage the hijackers still believed a pilot would be found to fly the plane for them. 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 . Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. It was a strange feeling. When the doors were thrown open, I realised I had jumped onto the wing. I wanted to save my family.. See a Message on the 25th Anniversary of the Hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. The victims were recognized for their extraordinary bravery during the September 5, 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am . September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Gargi Dave, at home in Sunnyvale, talks about her case on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. Nevertheless, Crowell & Mooring has insisted that the sharing provision applies. My co-passenger, a German national, woke me up informing that our plane was hijacked. Sherene says she knew then that time was running out. 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. Witness is a programme of the . Crew list PanAm *Grubbs, Victor Captain *Bragg, Robert First Officer *Warns, George W. Flight Engineer The case is being investigated by the Bureaus Washington Field Office. "I didn't see medical facilities at the airport besides minor first aid The hospital was several kilometres away from the airport," says Dilip. The Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO) is a Palestinian militant group, now considered largely inactive. Other terrified passengers had jumped down on top of her at Karachi, she explained. The Dav sisters scampered over the top of the seats to find the emergency exit as the gunfire and grenades erupted. 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. Neerja's colleagues say she was still alive when she arrived at Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. "My mother died while shielding and protecting me. That didnt make sense to Gargi Dav, who read the law firms demands with a trained lawyers eye. My father, Kalpesh Dalal, was extremely disturbed. At the sentencing, 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. 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. 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. Age: 50Profession: BusinessmanI was 21 then. But U.S. consulate officers go out to hospitals and airports to help U.S. citizens in distress. 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. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. They saw another door had been deployed in automatic, which meant that the emergency slide was inflated. Nearly 361 passengers, ground crew and 13 flight attendants spent 16 . I noticed that the evacuation hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit was open, but I pretended not to. And then another militant, his AK-47 and grenades in clear view, instructed Sunshine to take him to the captain. When no pilot materialised within the hour, Mr Kumar was shot and kicked out of the plane. He joked and flirted, invited her to go with him to Cyprus, and promised to teach her to swim. She slid out upside down.". I experienced compassion from a stranger, that too a Pakistani. 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. They let out a war cry," says Sunshine, "and began firing into the crowd. Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Turns 75! Profession: Chief Finance OfficerI was 23 then. August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. 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. They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. These sentences are later commuted to life sentences. More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. 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. As evening set in, the on-board power supply started to dwindle, the lights got dimmer and the cool air stopped circulating. He was not related to Kuverben Patel, 80, Kumars grandmother, who was also among the passengers killed. Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. My friend was drenched in blood. I t was September 5, 1986. The letter also contained a handbook entitled "Coping After Terrorism: Information for Victims and Survivors of the Pan Am Flight #73 Hijacking. This was given to the 40-odd American passengers of the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, but not shared with the Indians, including the kin . The Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO), which they were members of, was opposed to US and Israeli policy in the Middle East. Neerja was standing right next to the exit. Neerja Bhanot. The flight attendants were supportive, smart and composed throughout. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Maul, Hawaii. 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. Courageous crew members like Sunshine went back into the plane to look for survivors when the gunfire ceased and found . Three lives would be saved.". 19 Jan, 2018, 11.19 PM IST. 25th 1977, two 747's crashed into each other in. 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. One of the survivors and also eyewitness of hijacked Pan-Am flight in the year 1986. DE BEAULIEU, Francoise Colbert, New York ?? On the hand he was he giving me water and on the other he was still a threat to my life. 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. I knew non-Americans could go to their own governments. They also want people to know they dearly miss their colleagues Neerja Bhanot and Meherjee Kharas. Another person who was on the wings jumped down and broke his legs. On Mar. It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. We found a few people but not all. March 31, 2003 - Defense counsel filed reply briefs concerning motions filed on Feb 10, 2003. 270 people were killed, including 11 people in the town. There was a bloody end - 22 people killed and about 150 injured. June 16, 2003 - The government filed its reply brief in support of its motion for the court to reconsider its ruling barring the death penalty in this case. Joe Biden's Sister Valerie Opens Up: 'We Bleed Like Every Family in America', Pregnant Woman, 25, and Man Who Recently Celebrated His 20th Wedding Anniversary Killed in Mo. Thirty-two years later, Trahan, now 33, is a wife and mother who has learned to cope with unbelievable loss. At the . "They had lost patience. Massey had already exited down the slide just moments earlier, taking three unaccompanied children with him. He said she related, It was all confusion and panic. No Thanks Three of the hijackers were fleeing the airport when they were caught by airport security. The motions hearing will continue on Monday, June 16, 2003. 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. After 33 years, the tragedy is still haunting. 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 wanted to give the pilots time to escape in case they were still in the process of climbing down the ropes outside the plane. Amid sobs and applause from victims and relatives of those killed in the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini -- leader of an Abu Nidal terrorist . Trahan, dubbed the Miracle Baby of Pan Am Flight 759, was the sole survivor of the crash, sustaining no serious injuries. 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. Neerja had been shot in her hip and was bleeding heavily, but was conscious. PAN AM Flight 73 - Another Perspectiveby: Purnima Subhash Hardikar November 12, 2003 - A status conference was held before Judge Sullivan at which the parties announced that a plea agreement has been reached in the case. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. 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 . Become a Member. Eventually the militants threatened that, as a pilot had not materialised, a passenger would be shot every 15 minutes. 2 and Beyond, FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Shocking Death of Princess Diana, 25 Years Ago Today. Saturday marked 40 years since Pan Am 759 crashed into a Kenner neighborhood, killing all 146 people on board and eight people on the ground.The only survivor on the ground was 16 . The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. Twenty people killed, more than 100 injured. See the press release concerning the guilty plea, See a copy of the signed plea agreement concerning the guilty plea, See a copy of the of the facts proffered by the government to which the defendant admitted guilt under oath, January 20, 2004 - Letters were mailed to victims whose addresses are known to the prosecution. 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. Pity that she was shot at. 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 FBI is hoping to generate new leads with the release of age-progressed images of four alleged terrorists involved in the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Pakistan that killed two Americans. January 2008 - Pakistan reportedly released from jail the remaining four hijackers who had been convicted in 1988. He held the gun in one hand and with the other he gave me water. 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. Lynn Hartunian, 21, who was a student at SUNY Oswego, was one of the passengers killed on Pan Am Flight 103. We were travelling to the USA for a series of performances. Later, as Pakistani commandos prepared to raid, the gunmen opened fire inside the cabin. 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. She was hit with a bullet in her skull and had injuries on her chest and hands. The terrorists, members of the Abu Nidal organization, had planned to crash the plane into a sensitive Israeli target in Tel Aviv. Sunshine called Dilip over to help, and the two carried Neerja to the emergency slide. The $5 million reward is offered through the State Departments Rewards for Justice Program. Share it now! All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. The passenger plane crashed in a residential area of Kenner soon after . 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. I turned more patriotic, pious and mind you not religious rather spiritual after this incident. 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. I told the terrorist I wanted some water. Anyone can read what you share. 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. The Joint Prosecuting Agreement has language that may protect the law firm and cut against the Dav sisters. They threw the hand grenades too, one of which fell on my friend Rupal, sitting next to me. The court date of November 17, 2003, which had previously been set as a date to hear arguments on legal motions not related to the death penalty, has been converted to a status conference. Meherjee Kharas, a 28-year-old Pan Am mechanic on board, was forced to make radio contact with negotiators outside. 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. We don't support landscape mode. The PanAm had also survivors, before the names of the survivors appears a * Content of the page: Crewlist of the PanAm. The pilot picked up on her second attempt and she relayed the hijack code. They pushed her down first, then jumped out themselves. One of the hijackers removed a blanket and covered her with it because she was wearing a short skirt. By India Today Web Desk: On this day, exactly 31 years ago, a young flight attendant named Neerja Bhanot boarded Pan Am Flight 73 that would be hijacked on its way to the United States of America. September 5, 2011- This date marked the 25th anniversary of the tragic hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. After escaping out an emergency window, Gargi and her sister, Giatri, were badly injured when they fell from wing to ground. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I hid below the seats so I was saved. 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. They didn't discuss the hijack. Interim status hearing dates were set for February 18, 2004, and April 14, 2004. 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. Victim impact statements should be submitted to the prosecution team by March 1, 2004. He had grenades on him. After the terrorists opened fire, I lay down flat fearing I could get killed any moment. Her sister suffered severe damage to her feet when she leapt from the plane. We just kept praying.. The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. SARP, Aytel, Arlington. The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. Sonam Kapoors Neerja has brought alive memories of the braveheart Neerja Bhanot. 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast: Where Are They Now? He spoke to Witness about that terrible disaster. She went back to save the kids who were stuck inside and got shot from behind. There were 14 flight attendants on board, 12 of whom were preparing for take-off. 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.. Also known as Fatah-The Revolutionary Council, it is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, Israel and the European Union. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. Tenerife killing approx. 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. HIRANO, Sachiko, New York, fight attendant. 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. He made me wear a burkha and we stepped out as the security wasnt allowing me to step out. If you wish to contact the FBI case agent assigned to this matter, Special Agent Michael OCallaghan, any of the prosecutors handling this matter, Jennifer Levy, Gregg Maisel or Robert Bowman, or victim-witness advocate Yvonne Bryant you may do so at USADC.PanAm73@usdoj.gov. Her older sister is a physician with a practice in Southern California. Years later, the Libyan government admitted having planned the attack and agreed to US demands to pay compensation to the American citizens onboard. 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. 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. Safarini, mid-joke, caught her and immediately pointed the gun at her head. Four terrorists took position in four corners of the cabin and started shooting and throwing grenades. One hundred seventy-six passengers, estates, and family members who were victims of the September 5, 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan filed suit today against Libya and the individuals convicted of launching the attack. 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. But win or lose, what strikes me is how a 10-year-old victim has grown up to be an intelligent and passionate young lawyer willing to take on a big international law firm that has threatened her with legal reprisals. 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 our flight landed in Karachi, the hijackers entered the aircraft wearing security guard uniforms. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 . 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. Outside on the tarmac, Pan Am's Karachi director Viraf Doroga used a megaphone to begin negotiations with the hijackers. Each of the men is on the FBIs Most Wanted Terrorists List. 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. Judge Sullivan also recommended that the defendant never receive parole. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. Though Gargi had to take medication for years because of her head injury, she excelled in college and went on to graduate from the USC School of Law. We put her in the ambulance. Two of the six remain in the industry. 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. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. Those who were sitting straight got shot in the legs while others who had ducked got shot in the heads as their guns were pointed downwards. How much is naturally a matter of debate. Students who switched tickets escaped the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. 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. The "Shatter Zone" Portion Of The Reconstructed Fuselage Of Pan Am Flight 103, Which Exploded Over Lockerbie In 1988 Is On Display January 31, 2001. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. Sherene and Sunshine were the cabin crew who spent the most time with lead hijacker Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini. Sunshine, Madhvi Bahuguna and another flight attendant began collecting passports, quietly avoiding collecting any that were American. 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. These were the 2 cockpit observers who may as well be considered passengers, 2 flight attendants, and 12 passengers. Its always been an active case of ours, saidthe leadFBI agenton the case. In a sense, hers is an utterly American stance. Otherwise wed have panicked. Neerja swayed the terrorists to allow us to use the washroom telling them that the passengers would cooperate better if they were allowed. 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? 25-30 passengers were killed and a large number were injured. We just started jumping. The report of the Lockerbie Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), which was held at Dumfries in Scotland from October 1990 to February 1991, explained how Pan Am Flight 103 was sabotaged. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. Unable to fly the plane, the terrorists started by executing an American and dumping his body out the door of the plane. The court set a briefing schedule regarding the government's motion to reconsider the death penalty ruling. 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. He was shot by the hijackers when, according to some other passengers, he objected to their rough treatment of a flight attendant. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, A $150,000 executive protection dog? There was one airhostess there helping people jump. But a New York law firm is trying to wrest 90 percent of the settlement away from Dave and nine other survivors. At the center of that showdown is their 16-hour ordeal, during which the gunmen killed 20 passengers and wounded more than 100.