The Mystery of D.B. Cooper

It was a chilly afternoon on November 24, 1971, the day before Thanksgiving, when a man wearing a black suit, dark sunglasses, and a thin black tie walked into Portland International Airport. He called himself Dan Cooper (later mistakenly called “D.B. Cooper” by the media) and purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305.

With a confident demeanor, Cooper boarded the Boeing 727 and took seat 18C. Shortly after takeoff, he handed a note to a flight attendant, who initially ignored it, assuming it was just another phone number. Cooper leaned in and whispered, “Miss, you’d better read that. I have a bomb.”

The Hijacking
Inside the note, Cooper demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck waiting in Seattle to refuel the plane. Calm but firm, he opened his briefcase, revealing wires, red sticks, and what appeared to be explosives. The crew had no choice but to comply.

Upon landing in Seattle, his demands were met. The passengers were released unharmed, but Cooper kept the flight crew on board. With the ransom and parachutes in hand, he instructed the pilots to fly to Mexico City at a low altitude and a slow speed.

Somewhere over the rugged forests of the Pacific Northwest, near the Washington-Oregon border, Cooper opened the rear stairs of the plane and jumped into the cold, dark night—disappearing forever.

The Search and Theories
Law enforcement launched one of the largest manhunts in U.S. history. They scoured the dense forests, rivers, and mountains where he might have landed, but no trace of Cooper was found.

In 1980, a boy discovered $5,800 in decaying $20 bills along the Columbia River, confirmed to be part of the ransom. But beyond that, Cooper’s fate remains a mystery. Did he survive the daring jump, or did he perish in the wild?

Over the years, theories about his identity have run wild. Some believe he was an experienced paratrooper; others think he was an ordinary man who got lucky. Despite countless suspects and endless speculation, the FBI officially closed the case in 2016, leaving Cooper’s story as one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history.

Fascinating Facts

• Money Clues: Serial numbers on the ransom money were recorded, making the recovered bills along the Columbia River a key piece of evidence.
  
• Pop Culture Icon: D.B. Cooper’s story has inspired books, movies, and TV shows, cementing his legend.
  
• Amateur Skydiver?: Experts argue Cooper’s jump was extremely risky and likely fatal, especially since he jumped in a suit and loafers.
  
• The Plane’s Design: Cooper exploited a unique feature of the Boeing 727—its rear stairway could be lowered mid-flight.
  
• Enduring Mystery: The FBI spent 45 years investigating but never found definitive answers, making it the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history.
  The Legacy
  D.B. Cooper isn’t just a criminal; he’s become a legend. His daring escape and the unsolved mystery around his identity captivate imaginations even decades later. The story of D.B. Cooper reminds us that sometimes, the allure of the unknown is more intriguing than the truth.