Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Pan Am 73 Survivor Uses Travel To Heal Trauma
A woman survived a hijacking on an airplane when she was 15 years old.
The passengers were trapped for 16 hours.
She escaped through an emergency exit while gunfire was happening inside the plane.
A flight attendant helped her reach safety.
Many people were killed or injured during the attack.
The memories still bother her, and she remains uncomfortable on airplanes.
She decided not to let the experience stop her from living fully.
She says healing does not mean forgetting, but continuing to live despite what happened.
A woman who survived the Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking at 15 shared how travel helped her heal.
Passengers were held hostage for 16 hours after hijackers seized the flight while she was traveling from India to the United States.
She escaped through an emergency exit after gunfire erupted and was helped off the aircraft by a flight attendant named Sunshine.
The hijacking killed more than 21 people and injured over 100 others, according to the report.
Despite lasting trauma, she has traveled widely, including scuba diving in the Caribbean, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and swimming in Portugal.
- Who
- An unnamed woman who survived the hijacking at age 15, along with other passengers and flight attendant Sunshine.
- What
- She escaped the Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking and later used international travel as part of her healing.
- When
- The hijacking occurred 40 years before the recent Instagram video and anniversary remembrance.
- Where
- The hijacking took place aboard Pan Am Flight 73 during travel from India to the United States; she later traveled in the Caribbean, Swiss Alps, and Portugal.
- Why
- She chose to keep traveling so the trauma would not define the rest of her life.
- Survivor's age
- 15 years old at the time of the hijacking
- Hostage duration
- 16 hours
- Reported deaths
- More than 21 people
- Reported injuries
- Over 100 people
- Escape
- She exited through an emergency opening and was guided to safety by flight attendant Sunshine.
- Travel experiences
- Scuba diving in the Caribbean, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and swimming in Portugal
- Healing message
- She said healing does not mean forgetting what happened.