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. Galas son, Bharat, 32, an Orange County motel owner, met her Monday and interpreted for her. She was hit with a bullet in her skull and had injuries on her chest and hands. I experienced compassion from a stranger, that too a Pakistani. 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. That incident changed my outlook towards life. The stench of her blood haunts me even today.". 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. I turned more patriotic, pious and mind you not religious rather spiritual after this incident. We were ready to take what was coming, because there was nothing else we could do. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters, Gargi Dave, at home in Sunnyvale, talks about her case on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". The court suspended the hearing before it was completed due to a lack of sufficient interpreters for the defendant. These were the 2 cockpit observers who may as well be considered passengers, 2 flight attendants, and 12 passengers. TORRECH . He had been on a climbing expedition in northern Pakistan to say goodbye to his elder brother Pete, a doctor who had died during . 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. Sherene and Sunshine were the cabin crew who spent the most time with lead hijacker Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini. He said images of the suspects obtained by the FBI in the year 2000 were age-progressed by the FBI Laboratory. 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 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 . A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Khanjan Dalal, who survived the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 in September 1986, has lauded Sonam Kapoor starrer "Neerja". 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. An official website of the United States government. '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. (In group shot - far left): Massey. When the doors were thrown open, I realised I had jumped onto the wing. "I noticed immediately that the escape devices in the cockpit had been deployed. 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. We went back inside trying to exit from another door during which we lost each other. '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. 583 lives were lost when a KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 at Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport (TFN). Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. Trahan graduated from Louisiana State University with a major in theater production and moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked at Disney Studios. After escaping out an emergency window, Gargi and her sister, Giatri, were badly injured when they fell from wing to ground. There was gunfire. The court set a briefing schedule regarding the government's motion to reconsider the death penalty ruling. She was calm and responsible right up to the end. 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. Massey had already exited down the slide just moments earlier, taking three unaccompanied children with him. New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 5, 2017 17:13 IST. My father, Kalpesh Dalal, was extremely disturbed. March 10, 2003 - Attorneys for both sides filed briefs in response to the motions and notices filed on February 10, 2003. Now, a tangle of lawsuits over $150 million in compensation from Libya is pitting them against one another. As the shooting began to die down, said George, a flight attendant called out that an emergency exit was open. In panic mode, they opened gunfire. 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. "The hijack is far from over for me and my colleagues. They also shed light on the last few hours of Neerja Bhanot, their colleague who died in the attack and is the subject of the new film. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. But I opted to carry a young lady, who was severely injured and sadly died in my arms. Scott Herhold is a former San Jose metro columnist. Once they finally got to the hospital, the chaos continued, Sherene says. The Pakistani military boarded the plane and the ensuing shootout killed 22 people. Outside, four gunmen had sped on to the tarmac in a van disguised as airport security. It changed my perception. Become a Member. They were at every exit trying to push us out of the aircraft. The motion will be argued on July 21, 2003. . 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. Doctors did not think shed recover. 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. They were on Pan Am Flight 1736. . 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. Although the hijackers had closed the doors and lowered the shutters earlier, the air conditioning and lights had been on. She was killed while helping passengers to escape through emergency exits when hijackers opened fire and set off explosives during the 16-hour ordeal. Meherjee, the mechanic, told Safarini that the emergency power would last 15 minutes or so before the aircraft would be plunged into darkness. She informed the pilots about the hijack and thats how the pilots could escape. Also meeting the plane was Harshad Shah, 40, a Los Angeles bank employee, who had waited through the days of fear and uncertainty to learn what had happened to his wife, Raksha; his 65-year-old mother, Jasumati; his son, Pratik, 3, and his daughter, Jignisha, 13. Read about our approach to external linking. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . 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. October 17, 1990. ", 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. We take you down the emotional journey "Neerja was standing right next to the exit. I wanted to save my family.. 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. Pan Am Flight 73 was a Pan American World Airways flight from Bombay, India, to New York, United States with scheduled stops in Karachi, Pakistan and Frankfurt, West Germany.. On September 5, 1986, the Boeing 747-121 serving the flight was hijacked while on the ground at Karachi by four armed Palestinian men of the Abu Nidal Organization.The aircraft, with 360 passengers on board, had just . 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. 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. March 31, 2003 - Defense counsel filed reply briefs concerning motions filed on Feb 10, 2003. 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. Around four hours into the siege, the hijackers began trying to identify the Americans on board. Become a Member. 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. 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. The gunmen's plan was to force the pilots to fly them to Cyprus and Israel, where other members of their militant group were incarcerated on terror charges. 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. Melissa Missy Trahan was just 16 months old when she was rescued from the rubble of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, Louisiana, on July 9, 1982. Neerja Bhanot was working as a senior flight attendant for Pan American World Airways when tragedy struck on the morning of Sept. 5, 1986. Three lives would be saved.". Those who knew and loved these people will never forget the moment they discovered the nearly unbearable truth. Our responsibility is to assist U.S. citizens.. An airhostess, who felt unwell, too lay down next to Trupti. Trahan, dubbed the "Miracle Baby of Pan Am Flight 759," was the sole survivor of the crash, sustaining no serious injuries. Nupoor and Madhvi slipped off the edge of the wing, fracturing bones as they hit the tarmac around 20 feet (6 metres) below. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. The motions hearing will continue on Monday, June 16, 2003. The Court will allow the government to file additional briefs on some of the pending legal motions by April 22, 2003, and the attorneys for the defendant will be permitted to file any responding briefs by April 29, 2003. They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. I told the terrorist I wanted some water. There was a bloody end - 22 people killed and about 150 injured. One was naturalized citizen Rajesh Kumar, 29, of Huntington Beach. Sixteen-month-old Melissa Trahan, on stretcher, is rushed from the scene of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in Kenner, La. In the chaos and darkness, at least three doors had been opened, though it is not clear by whom. She died heroically, saving Pan Am passengers from terrorists on Sept. 5, 1986. But for how long could one possibly bow down? Tenerife killing approx. The men entered the Boeing 747, firing shots into the air. 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 letters provided information about defendant Safarini's guilty plea and encouraged victims to attend the scheduled sentencing proceeding. 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 . One of the four hijackers, Mrs. George recalled, said Americans killed his wife and whole family. 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. 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. (From top left): Nupoor, Sunshine, Sherene, Dilip. Budget 2023. Va., flight attendant. "It was 5th September 1986. March 27, 1977 is a date permanently etched in aviation history. "The stories may differ but the spirit remains the same.". No one aboard the KLM aircraft survived, and only 71 people escaped from the Pan Am wreckage. We were even scared to look at him.. The US was paid 1.5 billion dollars in compensation by Libya. We used to give up that position for a bit, or talk and whisper to each other. Gargi Dave was among the survivors of a shootout aboard a jetliners hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. Unable to fly the plane, the terrorists started by executing an American and dumping his body out the door of the plane. 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. 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. 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.