The D.B. Cooper case has been a subject of fascination for nearly five decades, earning its place among the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American history. In 2016, the FBI made the decision to conclude their investigation into this enigmatic airplane hijacker. Cooper, who famously leapt from the rear of a commercial aircraft equipped with only a parachute and $200,000 in ransom money, has managed to elude identification despite the scrutiny of hundreds of potential suspects over the years. The case continues to intrigue the public and spark speculation, even after the official investigation has been closed.

November 24, 1971: The Day of the Hijacking

On the fateful day, an individual using the alias Dan Cooper acquired a single-direction ticket at Portland International Airport, destined for Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 727 was scheduled for a 4:35 p.m. departure. As Cooper took his seat, he joined 36 other passengers on the aircraft. The flight crew consisted of five members: at the helm was Captain William Scott, accompanied by first officer Bob Rataczak and flight engineer H.E. Anderson. Tending to passenger needs were two flight attendants, Tina Mucklow and Florence Schaffner.

Shortly after takeoff, Cooper handed a handwritten note to Schaffner. At the time, it wasn’t unusual for male passengers, particularly businessmen, to pass notes or phone numbers to flight attendants, so Schaffner initially didn’t think much of it. However, as she made her way back down the aisle, Cooper caught her attention. He urgently advised her to read the note, adding the chilling warning that he was carrying a bomb in his suitcase.

Upon reading the note, Schaffner quickly shared its contents with her colleague Mucklow. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Mucklow promptly informed Captain Scott. The captain, understanding the potential threat, reached out to air traffic control. From there, the information rapidly cascaded through official channels: air traffic control alerted Seattle police, who in turn notified the FBI. When the FBI contacted the airline’s president for guidance, he made a critical decision: the crew should comply with any demands Cooper might make.

According to Schaffner’s later statement to the press, Cooper’s handwriting was difficult to decipher. Despite this, the message was clear: Cooper demanded a ransom payment and a set of parachutes. The note stipulated that these items were to be ready at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, with the ominous threat that failure to comply would result in the detonation of a bomb concealed in his briefcase. To underscore the seriousness of his threat, Cooper allowed Schaffner a glimpse into his briefcase. The flight attendant would later describe its contents as appearing unmistakably “lethal.”

In response to the hijacker’s demands, the FBI swiftly mobilized resources. They assembled the ransom: $200,000 in $20 bills. Simultaneously, they procured parachutes from a local skydiving school in Seattle, Washington. This quick action demonstrated the authorities’ commitment to meeting Cooper’s requirements, prioritizing the safety of the passengers and crew.

Nov. 24, 1971 – 5:24PM 

At Seattle airport, ground personnel had prepared the demanded items. A Northwest Airlines employee was tasked with delivering the crucial cargo – a bag containing both the cash and parachutes – to the aircraft. As the plane’s stairs were lowered, this employee approached to hand over the items.

With the demands seemingly met, Cooper allowed the release of the passengers, including flight attendant Schaffner. However, the situation remained tense as Cooper retained four crew members on board: flight attendant Tina Mucklow and the three men manning the cockpit. This strategic move ensured Cooper maintained control of the aircraft and its essential personnel.

Following the passenger release, negotiations between Cooper and the flight crew entered a critical phase. Cooper laid out his ambitious plan: a direct flight to Mexico. However, this proposal met with immediate resistance from the pilots. Drawing on their expertise, they countered that such a journey was impossible given their fuel constraints. Instead, they informed Cooper that their maximum range would only allow them to reach Reno Airport in Nevada.

Several hours into the flight, as the aircraft traversed the airspace between Washington and Oregon, Cooper made his pivotal move. He instructed the flight crew to deploy the rear stairway, preparing for his daring exit. Once the stairs were lowered, Cooper allegedly took his leap into the night sky, equipped with one of the parachutes and clutching the bag of ransom money.

This audacious mid-flight departure marked the culmination of Cooper’s hijacking plan and the beginning of one of America’s most enduring mysteries. The use of “supposedly” and “allegedly” in this context reflects the uncertainty surrounding these events, as no one actually witnessed Cooper’s jump.

Nov. 25, 1971 – (ROUGHLY) 12:00AM 

Upon touchdown at Reno Airport, a swarm of FBI agents and local law enforcement personnel rushed the aircraft, their hopes high of apprehending the hijacker. However, their efforts were in vain – Cooper was nowhere to be found.

In the ensuing chaos, the flight crew was swiftly evacuated from the plane. Yet, they found no respite as they were immediately besieged by eager members of the press, hungry for details of the unprecedented event.

Reflecting on their ordeal, crew members later revealed the palpable sense of threat they felt from Cooper throughout the hijacking. They emphasized that they had been repeatedly instructed to comply with his demands, underscoring the intense pressure they were under during the entire incident.

Reno: The Last Stop in Cooper’s Sky Heist

The flight crew maintained that the decision to land in Reno was a mutual agreement with Cooper. They explained that both the crew and the hijacker recognized the necessity of refueling, making Reno Airport the most logical choice for touchdown.

However, the Reno connection took an unexpected twist in the days following the incident. On November 29, 1971, just days after the Thanksgiving Eve hijacking, an intriguing piece of correspondence arrived at the offices of the Reno Evening Gazette. The letter, purportedly from the elusive hijacker himself, read: “Thanks for the hospitality, I was in a rut. D.B. Cooper.”

This cryptic message added another layer of mystery to the already perplexing case, suggesting that Cooper may have had some connection to or familiarity with Reno beyond it being a mere refueling stop.

From Headlines to Manhunt: America’s Search for D.B. Cooper

The FBI’s public appeal for assistance in identifying the real D.B. Cooper came nearly three decades after the incident. In 2009, they enlisted paleontologist Tom Kaye to conduct DNA analysis on case evidence. Kaye assembled a team of “citizen sleuths” – trained scientists specializing in microbiology, archaeology, and paleontology.

Kaye’s team focused on the ransom money discovered in 1980 along Washington’s Columbia River. “The waterlogged, algae-covered bills provided crucial clues,” Kaye explained. “By analyzing the algae, we could determine how long the money had been submerged, helping us verify if these were indeed Cooper’s ransom bills.”

Their findings were significant: the algae typically blooms in spring, not fall. Given that Cooper’s jump occurred in November, this suggested the money entered the river months after the hijacking.

The FBI also provided Cooper’s necktie, allegedly left behind on the plane. Kaye’s ongoing research, published in Scientific Reports, marked the first peer-reviewed publication of Cooper evidence.

Speculation about Cooper’s landing site has ranged from southwest Washington to northwest Oregon, fueling ongoing public interest in the case.