D B COOPER (A MAN WHO VANISHED IN THE SKY)

D.B. Cooper is one of the most infamous and mysterious figures in American criminal history. His case remains an enigma, as his true identity and fate have never been conclusively determined, despite years of investigation by the FBI. The story of D.B. Cooper, also sometimes referred to as "Dan Cooper," involves the only unsolved case of air piracy in the history of the United States. Here's a comprehensive account of who D.B. Cooper was, based on the events of the case, popular theories, and investigations surrounding it.

The Incident

On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a man who identified himself as "Dan Cooper" approached the ticket counter of Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport in Oregon. He purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle, Washington, on Flight 305, a 30-minute trip aboard a Boeing 727-100 aircraft. Cooper was described as a middle-aged man, possibly in his mid-40s, dressed in a business suit, white shirt, black tie, and loafers. He was also noted for wearing dark sunglasses.

Cooper's ticket cost $20, and he was seated in the rear of the plane in seat 18C. Shortly after takeoff, Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant, Florence Schaffner. Initially, she thought it was just a flirtatious gesture, common in her line of work, and she didn’t look at the note right away. However, when she did, she was stunned to find that it read, "I have a bomb." Cooper then requested that she sit beside him, and he calmly opened his briefcase to reveal what appeared to be a bomb—a collection of red cylinders attached by wires, connected to a large battery.

Cooper’s demands were straightforward: he wanted $200,000 in unmarked bills, four parachutes (two primary and two reserve), and a fuel truck waiting in Seattle to refuel the plane for a flight to Mexico City. The flight crew and authorities on the ground complied with Cooper's demands, not wanting to endanger the passengers' lives.

The flight circled for nearly two hours while the ransom money and parachutes were assembled. During this time, Cooper remained calm, even offering to pay for the flight crew’s meals. At around 5:30 PM, the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Cooper allowed the passengers and two flight attendants to disembark in exchange for the ransom and parachutes. Once his demands were met, Cooper directed the remaining crew to take off and head toward Mexico City.

The Hijacking and Escape

After the plane took off, Cooper gave the flight crew very specific instructions on the route and altitude they were to follow. He wanted the plane to fly at a low altitude of 10,000 feet, with the landing gear down and flaps set at 15 degrees. He also instructed them to keep the cabin unpressurized. This was an unusual flight configuration, but Cooper’s knowledge of the aircraft and aviation, in general, suggested he was well-informed.

At approximately 8:00 PM, while flying over the dense wilderness of Washington state, somewhere north of Portland, Cooper did something extraordinary: he opened the plane's rear airstair and jumped into the night with a parachute and the ransom money strapped to him. The plane was over the southern Cascades at the time, a heavily forested area with rough terrain, which made search efforts difficult. The flight crew had no visual on Cooper after he jumped, and when the plane landed safely in Reno, Nevada, hours later, Cooper was nowhere to be found. All that was left was a tie he had removed, two of the four parachutes, and some cigarette butts.

The Investigation

The FBI immediately launched a massive investigation, codenamed "NORJAK" (Northwest Hijacking), to find D.B. Cooper. They interviewed witnesses, gathered evidence, and scoured the area where they believed he might have landed. The manhunt was extensive, with search teams combing through the wilderness on foot and by air. Despite these efforts, neither Cooper nor the money was found.

One of the most significant leads came in 1980 when an eight-year-old boy discovered three bundles of decaying $20 bills along the banks of the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington. The serial numbers on the bills matched those from the ransom money given to Cooper. However, this discovery only deepened the mystery, as it raised more questions than answers. How did the money end up there, and what happened to Cooper?

Over the years, the FBI received thousands of tips and investigated hundreds of suspects, but none of the leads panned out. Cooper’s true identity remains unknown to this day. The FBI officially closed the case in 2016 after more than four decades of investigation, although the mystery continues to captivate the public.

Popular Theories

Several theories have emerged regarding Cooper's fate and identity. Some believe he died during the jump, succumbing to the elements or a rough landing in the wilderness. The terrain, combined with the inclement weather on the night of the hijacking, would have made survival difficult, especially for someone without extensive experience in skydiving or survival skills. Skeptics of this theory, however, point out that no body or conclusive evidence of Cooper’s death has ever been found.

Others believe that Cooper survived the jump and managed to disappear without a trace. Various individuals have been proposed as possible suspects, and some have even confessed to being D.B. Cooper. However, none of these confessions have been verified, and many of the individuals put forward as suspects have been ruled out through DNA testing, alibi verification, or other means.

Here are a few notable suspects and theories:

1. Richard Floyd McCoy

One of the most prominent suspects was Richard Floyd McCoy, a former Army Green Beret and Vietnam veteran. McCoy hijacked a plane in 1972 in a remarkably similar fashion to Cooper's crime. He demanded $500,000, parachutes, and then jumped out of the plane. McCoy was eventually caught, and while some investigators believed he might have been Cooper, there were key differences in the two hijackings. Additionally, McCoy was in a different location during the time of the D.B. Cooper hijacking.

2. Duane Weber

Another suspect, Duane Weber, was suggested by his wife, Jo Weber, after his death in 1995. Jo claimed that her husband had made a deathbed confession, telling her, "I am Dan Cooper." She also pointed to other pieces of circumstantial evidence, such as Weber having a knee injury from jumping out of a plane and his apparent knowledge of details related to the case that had not been made public. However, the FBI eventually ruled Weber out as a suspect after conducting DNA testing on the tie Cooper left behind.

3. Kenneth Christiansen

Kenneth Christiansen, a former Northwest Airlines employee and paratrooper, was another possible suspect. Christiansen's brother believed he was Cooper due to his resemblance to the hijacker and his experience with parachuting. Christiansen lived a relatively modest life but had inexplicably large sums of money after the hijacking. However, like Weber, Christiansen was ruled out through further investigation, and no conclusive evidence linked him to the crime.

4. Lynn Doyle Cooper

Lynn Doyle Cooper, or "L.D.," was suggested as a suspect by his niece, who claimed that he had returned home bloody and disheveled after Thanksgiving in 1971, just days after the hijacking. She also claimed that he had spoken about hijacking a plane. Despite the intriguing claims, no substantial evidence connected L.D. Cooper to the crime, and the FBI did not consider him a prime suspect.

Legacy and Impact on Aviation

The D.B. Cooper hijacking had a profound impact on aviation security. In the years following the incident, the FAA and airlines implemented stricter security measures to prevent similar hijackings. One of the most notable changes was the installation of "Cooper vanes," mechanical devices that prevent the rear airstair of Boeing 727s from being opened mid-flight. Airports also introduced metal detectors and baggage screening procedures that would become standard practice in the years to come.

The D.B. Cooper case also influenced popular culture. Cooper became a folk hero of sorts, representing the ultimate anti-establishment figure. He outwitted the FBI, hijacked a plane, and then disappeared without a trace, leading to a kind of romanticized outlaw image. He has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and documentaries, and his story continues to capture the imagination of people fascinated by unsolved mysteries.

Theories on How Cooper Survived (or Didn’t)

The question of whether Cooper survived the jump remains one of the most hotly debated aspects of the case. Many experts believe that the chances of his survival were slim, given the conditions he faced. The jump occurred at night, in the middle of a rainstorm, over rough and heavily forested terrain. Cooper was not dressed for the cold temperatures he would have encountered during the descent, nor was he wearing specialized skydiving equipment. Additionally, he jumped with a reserve parachute that had been sewn shut and was unusable.

However, some argue that Cooper may have been more experienced than he let on. His knowledge of the plane’s mechanics, the way he specified the flight configuration, and his request for parachutes suggest that he was familiar with aviation and skydiving. This has led some to believe that Cooper may have had a military background, possibly as a paratrooper or pilot.

If Cooper did survive, how he managed to evade capture for so many years is another mystery. Some believe that he had help on the ground or had carefully planned his escape route in advance. Others speculate that he may have died shortly after the jump due to injury or exposure, and

D.B. Cooper is one of the most infamous and mysterious figures in American criminal history. His case remains an enigma, as his true identity and fate have never been conclusively determined, despite years of investigation by the FBI. The story of D.B. Cooper, also sometimes referred to as "Dan Cooper," involves the only unsolved case of air piracy in the history of the United States. Here's a comprehensive account of who D.B. Cooper was, based on the events of the case, popular theories, and investigations surrounding it. ### The Incident On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a man who identified himself as "Dan Cooper" approached the ticket counter of Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport in Oregon. He purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle, Washington, on Flight 305, a 30-minute trip aboard a Boeing 727-100 aircraft. Cooper was described as a middle-aged man, possibly in his mid-40s, dressed in a business suit, white shirt, black tie, and loafers. He was also noted for wearing dark sunglasses. Cooper's ticket cost $20, and he was seated in the rear of the plane in seat 18C. Shortly after takeoff, Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant, Florence Schaffner. Initially, she thought it was just a flirtatious gesture, common in her line of work, and she didn’t look at the note right away. However, when she did, she was stunned to find that it read, "I have a bomb." Cooper then requested that she sit beside him, and he calmly opened his briefcase to reveal what appeared to be a bomb—a collection of red cylinders attached by wires, connected to a large battery. Cooper’s demands were straightforward: he wanted $200,000 in unmarked bills, four parachutes (two primary and two reserve), and a fuel truck waiting in Seattle to refuel the plane for a flight to Mexico City. The flight crew and authorities on the ground complied with Cooper's demands, not wanting to endanger the passengers' lives. The flight circled for nearly two hours while the ransom money and parachutes were assembled. During this time, Cooper remained calm, even offering to pay for the flight crew’s meals. At around 5:30 PM, the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Cooper allowed the passengers and two flight attendants to disembark in exchange for the ransom and parachutes. Once his demands were met, Cooper directed the remaining crew to take off and head toward Mexico City. 

 The Hijacking and Escape After the plane took off, Cooper gave the flight crew very specific instructions on the route and altitude they were to follow. He wanted the plane to fly at a low altitude of 10,000 feet, with the landing gear down and flaps set at 15 degrees. He also instructed them to keep the cabin unpressurized. This was an unusual flight configuration, but Cooper’s knowledge of the aircraft and aviation, in general, suggested he was well-informed. At approximately 8:00 PM, while flying over the dense wilderness of Washington state, somewhere north of Portland, Cooper did something extraordinary: he opened the plane's rear airstair and jumped into the night with a parachute and the ransom money strapped to him. The plane was over the southern Cascades at the time, a heavily forested area with rough terrain, which made search efforts difficult. The flight crew had no visual on Cooper after he jumped, and when the plane landed safely in Reno, Nevada, hours later, Cooper was nowhere to be found. All that was left was a tie he had removed, two of the four parachutes, and some cigarette butts.  The Investigation The FBI immediately launched a massive investigation, codenamed "NORJAK" (Northwest Hijacking), to find D.B. Cooper. They interviewed witnesses, gathered evidence, and scoured the area where they believed he might have landed. The manhunt was extensive, with search teams combing through the wilderness on foot and by air. Despite these efforts, neither Cooper nor the money was found. One of the most significant leads came in 1980 when an eight-year-old boy discovered three bundles of decaying $20 bills along the banks of the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington. The serial numbers on the bills matched those from the ransom money given to Cooper. However, this discovery only deepened the mystery, as it raised more questions than answers. How did the money end up there, and what happened to Cooper? Over the years, the FBI received thousands of tips and investigated hundreds of suspects, but none of the leads panned out. Cooper’s true identity remains unknown to this day. The FBI officially closed the case in 2016 after more than four decades of investigation, although the mystery continues to captivate the public. 

Popular Theories Several theories have emerged regarding Cooper's fate and identity. Some believe he died during the jump, succumbing to the elements or a rough landing in the wilderness. The terrain, combined with the inclement weather on the night of the hijacking, would have made survival difficult, especially for someone without extensive experience in skydiving or survival skills. Skeptics of this theory, however, point out that no body or conclusive evidence of Cooper’s death has ever been found. Others believe that Cooper survived the jump and managed to disappear without a trace. Various individuals have been proposed as possible suspects, and some have even confessed to being D.B. Cooper. However, none of these confessions have been verified, and many of the individuals put forward as suspects have been ruled out through DNA testing, alibi verification, or other means. Here are a few notable suspects and theories: 

1. **Richard Floyd McCoy** One of the most prominent suspects was Richard Floyd McCoy, a former Army Green Beret and Vietnam veteran. McCoy hijacked a plane in 1972 in a remarkably similar fashion to Cooper's crime. He demanded $500,000, parachutes, and then jumped out of the plane. McCoy was eventually caught, and while some investigators believed he might have been Cooper, there were key differences in the two hijackings. Additionally, McCoy was in a different location during the time of the D.B. Cooper hijacking.

 2. **Duane Weber** Another suspect, Duane Weber, was suggested by his wife, Jo Weber, after his death in 1995. Jo claimed that her husband had made a deathbed confession, telling her, "I am Dan Cooper." She also pointed to other pieces of circumstantial evidence, such as Weber having a knee injury from jumping out of a plane and his apparent knowledge of details related to the case that had not been made public. However, the FBI eventually ruled Weber out as a suspect after conducting DNA testing on the tie Cooper left behind. 

 3. **Kenneth Christiansen** Kenneth Christiansen, a former Northwest Airlines employee and paratrooper, was another possible suspect. Christiansen's brother believed he was Cooper due to his resemblance to the hijacker and his experience with parachuting. Christiansen lived a relatively modest life but had inexplicably large sums of money after the hijacking. However, like Weber, Christiansen was ruled out through further investigation, and no conclusive evidence linked him to the crime. 

4. **Lynn Doyle Cooper** Lynn Doyle Cooper, or "L.D.," was suggested as a suspect by his niece, who claimed that he had returned home bloody and disheveled after Thanksgiving in 1971, just days after the hijacking. She also claimed that he had spoken about hijacking a plane. Despite the intriguing claims, no substantial evidence connected L.D. Cooper to the crime, and the FBI did not consider him a prime suspect.  Legacy and Impact on Aviation The D.B. Cooper hijacking had a profound impact on aviation security. In the years following the incident, the FAA and airlines implemented stricter security measures to prevent similar hijackings. One of the most notable changes was the installation of "Cooper vanes," mechanical devices that prevent the rear airstair of Boeing 727s from being opened mid-flight. Airports also introduced metal detectors and baggage screening procedures that would become standard practice in the years to come. The D.B. Cooper case also influenced popular culture. Cooper became a folk hero of sorts, representing the ultimate anti-establishment figure. He outwitted the FBI, hijacked a plane, and then disappeared without a trace, leading to a kind of romanticized outlaw image. He has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and documentaries, and his story continues to capture the imagination of people fascinated by unsolved mysteries. 

 Theories on How Cooper Survived (or Didn’t) The question of whether Cooper survived the jump remains one of the most hotly debated aspects of the case. Many experts believe that the chances of his survival were slim, given the conditions he faced. The jump occurred at night, in the middle of a rainstorm, over rough and heavily forested terrain. Cooper was not dressed for the cold temperatures he would have encountered during the descent, nor was he wearing specialized skydiving equipment. Additionally, he jumped with a reserve parachute that had been sewn shut and was unusable. However, some argue that Cooper may have been more experienced than he let on. His knowledge of the plane’s mechanics, the way he specified the flight configuration, and his request for parachutes suggest that he was familiar with aviation and skydiving. This has led some to believe that Cooper may have had a military background, possibly as a paratrooper or pilot. If Cooper did survive, how he managed to evade capture for so many years is another mystery. Some believe that he had help on the ground or had carefully planned his escape route in advance.