The smartly dressed and polite hijacker who vanished without a trace.
A man aboard a commercial airline the day before Thanksgiving passes a note to the air stewardess intimating that he has a bomb. He wants $200,000 along with four parachutes. The plane lands in the destination demanded by the hijacker who, after releasing all passengers and most of the crew, instructs the pilot to take off once again into the night sky. He requests that the rear door of the aircraft be lowered and that the staff remain in the cockpit. He is never seen again.
The only visual evidence of him is an artist’s impression based on eyewitness accounts.
The Incident
The year was 1971 and, to this day, it remains arguably the most mysterious case in air piracy history. The perplexity even extends to the true identity of the antagonist in question. Apparently, the media misheard the name ‘Dan’ and christened the skyjacker ‘D.B.’ Cooper. This was not your typical ransom act, with the theories in plentiful supply as to Cooper’s fate.
The Boeing-727 Northwest Orient flight from Portland to Seattle usually took not much longer than half an hour. On this dreary November evening, however, Flight 305 circled over Seattle for more than two hours as the FBI desperately scrambled together $200,000 in marked $20 bundles on the ground. Meanwhile, instructed by the authorities, a senior skydiver collected four parachutes from his training base for Cooper to take when the aircraft finally landed in Seattle.
In the meantime, the atmosphere aboard the flight was surprisingly serene, given the intense nature of proceedings. That was mostly down to Cooper’s demeanor which remained oddly and intriguingly respectful throughout. The ordeal began not long after take-off, when the skyjacker calmly alerted the attention of one of the air stewardesses by handing her a note. Thinking it was just another lonely business man offering his phone number, the flight attendant initially dismissed the message. Responding to the middle-aged American’s insistence that she read the letter, the situation suddenly became abundantly clear. To reinforce the issue, Cooper revealed the bomb he was carrying in his bag. This was the real deal.
After the cockpit was alerted, the hijacker’s demands were communicated to the ground staff who then reported to the federal authorities. While a number of Seattle banks were busily preparing the huge sum of cash, the first ever skyjacking by an American was taking place 30,000 feet above. Cooper remained considered, almost sentient. His behaviour was pleasant, even playful. For instance, he insisted on paying for the brandy he ordered, as well as leaving a tip. His drink order matched his attire – neat suit and coiffed hair. This was a unique act of terrorism – financial greed with the absence of any political or social protest.
Once grounded and the money and parachutes were transferred over, all of the passengers and most of the crew were released. Afterwards, the remaining flight attendant, team of pilots and Cooper took off once more into the night sky, heading south. This is the moment when the factual becomes the theoretical. Cooper demanded that the landing gear be lowered and the rear door be opened, demonstrating basic flying knowledge by instructing the pilot to position the flaps at 15 degrees in order to slow the jet down considerably. With all the staff locked in the cockpit and with the instructions successfully completed, D.B. Cooper was never seen again as he attempted to skydive his way to freedom.
The Fallout
A series of fighter jets followed the stricken airline, as the heist reached its most crucial stage. However, not one person in this world actually saw Cooper jump out of that 727. The most commonly held belief is that Cooper panicked and perished after leaping. Incremental weather conditions were not conducive to a safe skydive, even for experienced jumpers. The total darkness, strong winds and persistent drizzle in all likelihood overwhelmed the criminal. This theory is certainly the most plausible outcome and it is one in which the FBI has struck rigidly to believing in the intervening decades. They elaborate on the possibility that even if Cooper did manage to land, he would have most likely ended up in the Merwin Dam area – an extremely isolated and at times inhospitable location. The paramount flaw, though, in this widely held belief is in the distinct lack of any major evidence, including a body.
In fact, the only significant breakthrough occurred nine years later when, in 1980, a couple of bundles of rotted $20 notes were found buried in the surrounding area. Many feel that this was the money stolen by Cooper a decade previously, with his body flown down stream in the nearby river. However, this finding also brings with it a fascinating theory – the money was purposely planted as a decoy…
The theories
There is a strong contingent out there who believe that Cooper pulled off the most audacious of robberies with the assistance of accomplices. While many have been accused of or claimed to be Cooper, the idea that this was an inside job has been mooted to some degree over the years. Certain investigators are of the persuasion that, based on his appearance and behaviour, Cooper was a disgruntled military veteran, while a large portion of researchers reckon he had formerly worked in the airline industry. In this latter regard, the actions of the air stewardesses on that fateful night have been scrutinized, particularly those individuals who dealt directly with Cooper.
In the proceeding years, members of that Northwest Orient team have been increasingly reclusive and reticent in revealing more information. While this may very well be the completely justifiable desire to simply distance and remove themselves from the events of that Thanksgiving Eve day, the frustration in not cracking the case has led to many people believing there was a lot more to this skyjacking than meets the eye.
Whatever truly occurred or whatever the outcome, this remains one of the most captivating criminal tales in history. The incident has gained a significant cult following and has even extended into the world of pop culture. Fans of the hit show ‘Mad Men’ took note of a recent online suggestion that the lead character of Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) is indeed D.B. Cooper, with some interesting theories to back up such a claim.
In any case, the question still remains; who the **** is D.B. Cooper?
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