The Hijacking
Date: November 24, 1971
Flight: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727
Route: From Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington
Passenger: A man who used the alias “Dan Cooper,” which was later mistakenly reported as “D.B. Cooper.”
The Incident
- Boarding: A man, described as being in his mid-40s, wearing a suit and a black tie, boarded the flight in Portland. He was carrying a briefcase.
- The Threat: Shortly after takeoff, he handed a note to a flight attendant indicating he had a bomb. He opened the briefcase to reveal what appeared to be a bomb, though it was never confirmed if it was real or a hoax.
- Ransom Demands: Cooper demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck ready for refueling in Seattle. The airline complied with his demands, and the plane landed in Seattle, where the ransom and parachutes were exchanged for the 36 passengers.
- The Escape: Cooper then instructed the remaining crew to fly to Mexico City at a slow speed, with the rear stairs deployed. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, he opened the rear stairs and parachuted out of the plane with the ransom money.
The Investigation
- Search Efforts: Despite a massive search effort involving the FBI, no trace of Cooper was found immediately. The search area, complicated by dense forests and rugged terrain, was extensive.
- The Findings: In 1980, a young boy found a decaying package of $5,800 of the ransom money along the Columbia River, buried in the sand. The serial numbers on the bills matched those given to Cooper. This discovery was the only piece of physical evidence ever found.
- Suspects and Theories: Over the years, numerous suspects have been proposed, and many theories have been suggested about Cooper’s fate. Some believe he died in the jump due to the harsh conditions and inexperience with parachuting. Others think he might have survived and lived under a new identity.
- The FBI’s Official Position: The FBI closed its investigation in 2016, stating that they had exhausted all leads and that Cooper’s identity and fate remain unknown.
Cultural Impact
D.B. Cooper became an iconic figure in American folklore, inspiring countless books, documentaries, and even a film. His case remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in criminal history.
If you have any specific details you’re curious about or want to delve deeper into any part of the story, let me know!
