D.B. Cooper: The Skyjacker Who Disappeared Into Thin Air
On a rainy November night in 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper committed what remains the only unsolved act of air piracy in U.S. history. His daring midair escape with $200,000 in ransom money (about $1.6 million today) sparked one of the FBI’s longest manhunts and led to permanent changes in aviation security. More than 50 years later, the mystery of D.B. Cooper continues to fascinate investigators and the public alike.
The Perfect Crime: How Cooper Hijacked Flight 305
Boarding the Plane
The story began on November 24, 1971 – the day before Thanksgiving – at Portland International Airport. A well-dressed man in his mid-40s purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle under the name “Dan Cooper” (a name later misreported as “D.B. Cooper” in press accounts).
Eyewitnesses described him as:
- Approximately 5’10” to 6’0″ tall
- Wearing a black raincoat, business suit, and loafers
- Carrying a briefcase and brown paper bag
- Having dark hair and brown eyes
The Hijacking
After takeoff at 2:50 PM PST, Cooper handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner. When she initially ignored it, he leaned in and whispered: “Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb.”
The typewritten note read:
“I HAVE A BOMB IN MY BRIEFCASE. I WILL USE IT IF NECESSARY. I WANT YOU TO SIT NEXT TO ME.”
Cooper showed Schaffner what appeared to be dynamite sticks connected to a battery in his briefcase. He then made his demands:
- $200,000 in $20 bills (non-sequential)
- Four parachutes (two primary, two backup)
- A full tank of fuel for a flight to Mexico City
The Ransom Exchange in Seattle
When Flight 305 landed at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, authorities complied with Cooper’s demands:
- The ransom money was delivered in a knapsack
- Four parachutes were provided (including two military-grade backpacks)
- All 36 passengers were released
Cooper kept the flight crew onboard as he ordered the plane to take off again, this time heading south toward Reno, Nevada with instructions to fly at the unusually low altitude of 10,000 feet.
The Daring Escape
At approximately 8:13 PM, somewhere over the rugged terrain of southwestern Washington, Cooper did the unthinkable:
- He instructed the flight crew to keep the cabin unpressurized and the landing gear down
- Using the plane’s rear airstairs (a feature unique to Boeing 727s)
- With the money strapped to his body and wearing only a business suit, he jumped into the stormy night
When the plane landed in Reno, Cooper was gone – vanished into history.
The FBI Investigation: 45 Years of Dead Ends
The FBI launched one of its most extensive investigations, code-named “NORJAK” (Northwest Hijacking). Key findings included:
The Only Physical Evidence
In 1980, a boy digging along the Columbia River discovered $5,800 of the ransom money – still bundled in rubber bands but badly deteriorated. The bills’ serial numbers matched the ransom cash.
Why the FBI Thinks Cooper Died
After investigating over 1,000 suspects, the FBI closed the case in 2016, concluding Cooper likely didn’t survive because:
- The jump occurred at night in near-freezing rain
- He lacked proper skydiving equipment
- The terrain below was dense forest and mountains
- None of the remaining ransom money ever surfaced
Lasting Impact: How Cooper Changed Air Travel
Cooper’s hijacking directly led to:
✈️ Mandatory passenger screening (metal detectors introduced in 1973)
✈️ “Cooper Vanes” – mechanical locks preventing midair stair deployment
✈️ Stricter rules about cash ticket purchases and carry-on items
Theories and Suspects: Who Was D.B. Cooper?
Over the years, numerous suspects have been proposed, including:
- Richard McCoy – A Vietnam vet and skilled skydiver who pulled a similar hijacking in 1972
- Kenneth Christiansen – A Northwest Orient employee with parachute experience
- Robert Rackstraw – A former Army pilot with intelligence connections
Yet none have been conclusively proven to be Cooper.
Why the Mystery Endures
The D.B. Cooper case remains fascinating because:
🔍 It was the perfect crime – no body, no definitive evidence
🪂 The sheer audacity of the midair escape
🕵️ The romantic notion that Cooper might have gotten away with it
As retired FBI agent Ralph Himmelsbach put it: “I always thought he survived. But in my heart, I never really believed it.”
The legend lives on – a mystery that may never be solved.
