"D. B. Cooper"

From MysteryWiki

"D. B. Cooper" was an epithet used to identify a man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 on 24 November 1971 (Federal Bureau of Investigation 4).

Background

On 24 November 1971, a man carrying a black attaché case approached the flight counter of Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport. He identified himself as "Dan Cooper" and purchased a one-way ticket on Flight 305, a 30-minute trip to Seattle.

"Cooper" boarded the aircraft, a Boeing 727-100[1], and took seat 18C[2]. He lit a cigarette and ordered a bourbon and soda.

Witnesses on-board described "Cooper" as a man in his mid-forties, between 5'10" (1.78m) and 6'0" (1.83m) tall. He wore a black, lightweight raincoat, loafers, a dark suit, a neatly pressed white collared shirt, a black necktie, and a mother of pearl tie pin.

Flight 305 departed on schedule at 2:50 PM, PST, approximately one-third full.

Hijacking

Shortly after takeoff, "Cooper" handed a note to the flight attendant situated nearest to him, Florence Schaffner. Schaffner assumed the note simply contained a lonely businessman's phone number, and so she dropped it in her purse. "Cooper" then leaned toward her and whispered, "Miss, you'd better look at that note. I have a bomb."

The note was printed in neat, all-capital letters with a felt-tip pen, but the exact wording is unknown, due to the fact that "Cooper" later reclaimed the note. Schaffner recalled that the note had indicated that the bomb was located in Cooper's briefcase, and that she was to sit beside Cooper. Schaffner did as requested, and then asked quietly to see the bomb. Upon this, "Cooper" cracked open the briefcase, allowing Schaffner to see eight red cylinders attached to wires coated with red insulation and a large cylindrical battery.

After closing the briefcase once more, "Cooper" dictated his demands: $200,000 in "negotiable American currency," four parachutes (two primary and two reserve), and a fuel truck standing by in Seattle to refuel the aircraft.

Landing

Takeoff

Parachuting

At approximately 8:00 PM, a warning light flashed in the cockpit, indicating that the aft airstair apparatus had been activated.

Initial Investigation

On 8 July 2016, the FBI officially redirected resources allocated to the D. B. Cooper case in order to focus on other investigative priorities.

Later Developments

Notes

  1. FAA registration N467US
  2. Other accounts give the seat number as 18E or 15D

External Links

References

  • "A Byte Out of History: The D.B. Cooper Mystery." FBI.gov. U.S. Department of Justice, 24 Nov. 2006. Web. 19 June 2016.
  • "D.B. Cooper Redux: Help Us Solve the Enduring Mystery." FBI.gov. U.S. Department of Justice, 31 Dec. 2007. Web. 19 June 2016.
  • "In Search of D.B. Cooper: New Developments in the Unsolved Case." FBI.gov. U.S. Department of Justice, 17 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 June 2016.
  • United States of America. Federal Bureau of Investigation. D. B. Cooper. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.