A 1972 Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) sketch of D.B. Cooper.
Introduction
In the early evening of November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper, who would later be famously misnamed by the media as D.B. Cooper, boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. His actions that day would put his name in criminal history as one of the most mysterious figures in America. Cooper hijacked the plane, demanded a ransom, and then parachuted into the unknown with $200,000, vanishing into thin air.
Background
The 1970s was a time when airport security was nowhere near as rigorous as it is today. Passengers could board planes with little more than a ticket, leading to a surge in airplane hijackings. These hijackings ranged from the political, where hijackers sought to divert planes to Cuba or other countries, to the criminal, where individuals demanded money. In the case of D.B. Cooper's, he did not seek to flee to another country; he wanted cash and a way to disappear.
The Hijacking
D.B. Cooper, whose alias was inspired by a comic book character, presented himself as an ordinary businessman when he bought his ticket. Once aboard, he handed a note to a flight attendant claiming he had a bomb. He showed her what appeared to be dynamite sticks to back up his claim, making sure that everyone took him seriously. His demands were specific: $200,000 in $20 bills, and four parachutes—two main and two reserve.
The plane landed in Seattle for the exchange of passengers for the ransom. Cooper released all passengers and most of the crew, keeping only the pilots and several crew members. After refueling, he instructed the pilot to fly towards Mexico City. However, his real intention was not to reach Mexico. Somewhere over the Pacific Northwest, with the plane flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet in the dead of night, Cooper lowered the rear airstairs of the Boeing 727, strapped on a parachute, and jumped into the darkness with his bag of money.
The Aftermath
The FBI immediately launched what would become one of the largest manhunts in its history. Known internally as NORJAK (Northwest Hijacking), the operation involved hundreds of agents, extensive ground searches, and interviews with countless individuals. They combed through the rugged terrain where Cooper might have landed, but the elements and the vastness of the landscape made finding him or any evidence basically impossible. For years, there was no trace of D.B. Cooper or the money.
However, in 1980, a significant clue came out when an 8-year-old boy named Brian Ingram found three bundles of the ransom money along the Columbia River. The money was waterlogged and buried in sand, indicating that Cooper might have landed or been carried by the river to that location. Yet, this find only deepened the mystery because no further evidence was ever found to connect the dots between the money and Cooper's fate.
Theories and Speculations
Over the years, a lot of theories have come out about D.B. Cooper's identity and fate. Some believe he perished due to the harsh weather conditions during his jump, suggesting he might have landed in the dangerous, forested terrain of the Pacific Northwest, never to be found. Others speculate he was an experienced parachutist, possibly a military veteran, who planned his escape carefully, ensuring he could survive the jump and vanish.
There have been many claiming to be D.B. Cooper or to have known him, each with their own story and evidence. One notable guy that claimed to be him was Richard McCoy, a former Green Beret, who himself committed a similar hijacking. However, he was later dismissed for possibly being D.B. Cooper due to timeline discrepancies. Others like Duane Weber, Kenneth Christiansen, and more recently, Vince Peterson, have all had supporters claiming they were the real Cooper.
Cultural Impact
A Cooper Vane in the unlocked position.
D.B. Cooper's legend has not only gone beyond the crime itself but it has embedded itself into American culture. His story inspired a lot of books, movies, and journalism. The case even led to changes in aviation security, with the introduction of sky marshals and more stringent checks at airports. It also led to all 727s being required to have a Cooper Vane, which prevented the lowering of the back stairs during flight. Peepholes were required on the cockpit doors of all commercial aircraft as well. Over time, the term "D.B. Cooper" has become shorthand for any unsolved mystery involving a disappearance.
The Ongoing Investigation
Even decades later, the FBI officially closed the investigation in 2016, citing resource constraints, but the case remains technically unsolved. Common people and amateur detectives continue to pour over every detail, with new theories and technologies occasionally bringing the case back into relevance.
The partial recovery of the ransom money is probably the most tangible clue in the Cooper mystery. The serial numbers on the bills were recorded, which led to the identification of the money found by Brian Ingram. However, the rest of the money, if it wasn't destroyed or lost, could still be out there, waiting to be discovered. Funny enough, every time a piece of the puzzle seems to fit, it only raises more questions about what truly happened to D.B. Cooper.