Basically, they would be taking away 90 percent of the money, she said. We just kept praying.. "My first instinct was to open the wing exit and slip out with as many passengers as I could, but I realised that this would leave the rest of the passengers vulnerable," then flight attendant Nupoor Abrol told BBC News. 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. Like I say, there are many shades of gray here. New Images Released in 1986 Hijacking Case. (From top left): Nupoor, Sunshine, Sherene, Dilip. 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. 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. At the sentencing in the spring of 2004, 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. More information will be provided to victims concerning submitting a victim impact. Over a long time, it looked like the Dav sisters and the rest of the passengers on the Pan Am flight would never see a penny in compensation for their suffering. It changed my perception. . 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. emailStay Connected Profession: Chief Finance OfficerI was 23 then. Pity that she was shot at. Spring 2000 - Officials in Pakistan begin making public statements that the jail terms of the hijackers will soon expire. Members Only. THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant. The initial agreement between the passengers was "designed to avoid infighting," Newberger wrote. Survivors condemn hijacker in Pan Am massacre . Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. The main leader, who was directing the other three men, was in charge of our compartment. I ran bare feet for almost two kilometres on the tarmac. It was his birthday and he was taking revenge. Maybe, it was a sign from God to avoid flying but somehow we managed to take the flight. They also want people to know they dearly miss their colleagues Neerja Bhanot and Meherjee Kharas. 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. They were not aggressive as such but panic started after the power supply went off. August 29, 1991 - A 126-count indictment is returned under seal (i.e., in secret) by a grand jury in the District of Columbia. My co-passenger, a German national, woke me up informing that our plane was hijacked. No Thanks Lynn Hartunian, 21, who was a student at SUNY Oswego, was one of the passengers killed on Pan Am Flight 103. 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. I climbed back into the aircraft and then ran to the rear exit. 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. Shama, another friend, had two bullet injuries in her head. Sherene saw that mechanic Meherjee had been killed. Were hoping that with the age-progression photos next to the original photos maybe that will jar some memories or maybe someone has seen these guys walking around.. The only two American citizens confirmed killed were Orange County residents. Not hearing any more gunfire, but not knowing where the gunmen were, they went back into the dark plane to look for survivors. Witness is a programme of the . 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. 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. Scott Herhold is a former San Jose metro columnist. Nearly 30 years after the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73 at Karachi airport, six of the plane's crew have spoken to the media for the first time. A survivor of 1986 Pan Am hijack, Murthy shuddered as the dreadful moment flashed before his eyes. It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. Nearly 361 passengers, ground crew and 13 flight attendants spent 16 . 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. 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. 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. As the movie Neerja is releasing today, I thought it would be great to bring this story to all of you. Irja Skabo, 38, was one of Pan Am's more experienced stewardesses and she often worked in the first class cabin. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The gunmen positioned themselves on either side of the aisles. September 12, 2002 - Defendant Safarini is arraigned on the superseding indictment and pleads not guilty to each of the counts. At the end of the proceeding, Judge Sullivan took the matter under advisement and will issue a written decision at a later date. We had no choice but to follow the terrorists instructions. Towards the end, they were frustrated because they were looking for pilots and there were none.After a point when it was dark, this leader, I remember him being addressed as Mustafa, said his prayers in a high pitch. December 12, 2002 - The government files a notice of its intent to seek the death penalty against defendant Safarini, as well as a legal brief in response to defendant Safarini's motion seeking to bar the availability of the death penalty in this case. 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. Eventually, she moved back to New Orleans and married Joe Ferrara, whom she called the boy next door in the Times-Picayune story. I started running towards the terminus. 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 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 . Mike Thexton, a passenger on the plane, describes the act in his book What Happened to The Hippy Man? "Neerja's life may have been saved were conditions in the hospital better.". All have coped in different ways. I was wondering if the Pan Am pilots are still living, or even the cabin crew. Suffice it to say there are many shades of gray. They turned and ran back through the plane--and some gunfire--to the other wing, where they were able to slide to safety. Va., flight attendant, THOMAS, Carol, New York, flight attendant, TORRECH, Miguel, New York, flight attendant. 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. 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 . Then we were told to rest our heads on our hands and bend down. After being rushed to the hospital by two Pakistani men at the airport, Gargi Dav slipped into a coma. Just 61 people survived, all from the Pan Am jumbo jet. Gargi Dav (pronounced Dah-VAY) is now a 34-year-old attorney who lives in Sunnyvale. Nupoor and Madhvi slipped off the edge of the wing, fracturing bones as they hit the tarmac around 20 feet (6 metres) below. We were asked to hold our hands behind and bow down. After the terrorists opened fire, I lay down flat fearing I could get killed any moment. But I opted to carry a young lady, who was severely injured and sadly died in my arms. "Neerja was an excellent airhostess. One lady amongst us, Trupti, complained of a headache. Four terrorists took position in four corners of the cabin and started shooting and throwing grenades. Herhold: The heritage of a 24-year-old hijacking, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early. Twenty people killed, more than 100 injured. On September 5, 1986, Pan Am flight 73, a Boeing 747, departed Mumbai for New York with scheduled stops in Karchi and Frankfurt. There was one airhostess there helping people jump. She fell on my shoulder, while I felt a hot ball of fire going up my feet. Hassan Abd Latif Safarini appeared in court Wednesday to begin the sentencing phase for his role as lead hijacker of Pan Am Flight 73. 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. Years later, the Libyan government admitted having planned the attack and agreed to US demands to pay compensation to the American citizens onboard. 1988 - Five men are convicted in Pakistan for their roles in the hijacking. It was one of the deadliest airplane crashes in the history of the U.S. More information will be provided on submitting a victim impact statement at a later date.