Source: Aero-News Network
Victims of 1986 Hijacking of Pan Am 73 File $10 Billion Suit Against Libya
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 have filed suit against Libya and the individuals convicted of launching the attack. The Pan Am 73 terrorist attack killed 20 passengers and crew and severely injured more than 100 of the 380 persons on board.
The lawsuit was filed by the law firm Crowell & Moring LLP in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and seeks $10 billion in compensatory damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages, from Libya, its long-time leader, Muammar Qadhafi, and the five convicted terrorists, all of whom were members of the notorious terrorist group Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). Coming together from across the globe, the victims and family members who brought suit include the estates of 13 people murdered in the attack, 32 of their family members, and 131 other passengers and crew.
According to the law firm, the hijackers had intended to fly the jumbo jet to Israel and crash it into the city of Tel Aviv. However, the pilots were alerted to the attack by the crew, and were able to escape by climbing out of the cockpit using emergency ropes. Without pilots, the hijackers could not get the aircraft off the ground.
The result was a terrifying 16 hour drama of killings, torture, and bravery. When the hijackers demanded that all passengers produce their passports, several crew members hid the passports of the Americans to protect those passengers who were the immediate targets. During the tense hours inside the large aircraft, the terrorists shot and killed an American citizen, heaved his body out of the plane's door onto the tarmac, and threatened to kill another passenger every ten minutes if their demands were not met. As the aircraft's power failed and the lights went out, the hijackers recited a martyrdom prayer, opened fire on the passengers with automatic weapons at point blank range, and threw hand grenades into the tightly packed group. In addition to the 20 passengers and crew who were killed, many more were severely maimed, blinded, or disfigured by bullets, grenades, and shrapnel. Several victims broke their legs and arms when they hit the tarmac after jumping from the doors to escape the bullets and explosives.
Victims of 1986 Hijacking of Pan Am 73 File $10 Billion Suit Against Libya
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 have filed suit against Libya and the individuals convicted of launching the attack. The Pan Am 73 terrorist attack killed 20 passengers and crew and severely injured more than 100 of the 380 persons on board.
The lawsuit was filed by the law firm Crowell & Moring LLP in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and seeks $10 billion in compensatory damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages, from Libya, its long-time leader, Muammar Qadhafi, and the five convicted terrorists, all of whom were members of the notorious terrorist group Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). Coming together from across the globe, the victims and family members who brought suit include the estates of 13 people murdered in the attack, 32 of their family members, and 131 other passengers and crew.
According to the law firm, the hijackers had intended to fly the jumbo jet to Israel and crash it into the city of Tel Aviv. However, the pilots were alerted to the attack by the crew, and were able to escape by climbing out of the cockpit using emergency ropes. Without pilots, the hijackers could not get the aircraft off the ground.
The result was a terrifying 16 hour drama of killings, torture, and bravery. When the hijackers demanded that all passengers produce their passports, several crew members hid the passports of the Americans to protect those passengers who were the immediate targets. During the tense hours inside the large aircraft, the terrorists shot and killed an American citizen, heaved his body out of the plane's door onto the tarmac, and threatened to kill another passenger every ten minutes if their demands were not met. As the aircraft's power failed and the lights went out, the hijackers recited a martyrdom prayer, opened fire on the passengers with automatic weapons at point blank range, and threw hand grenades into the tightly packed group. In addition to the 20 passengers and crew who were killed, many more were severely maimed, blinded, or disfigured by bullets, grenades, and shrapnel. Several victims broke their legs and arms when they hit the tarmac after jumping from the doors to escape the bullets and explosives.
