AVIATION MYSTERIES
THE MYSTERY OF
D.B. COOPER
The unidentified hijacker who disappeared after parachuting from
Northwest Orient Flight 305 in 1971.
24 NOV 1971
FLIGHT 305
IDENTITY UNKNOWN
AVIATION MYSTERIES
THE MYSTERY OF
D.B. COOPER
The unidentified hijacker who disappeared after parachuting from
Northwest Orient Flight 305 in 1971.
24 NOV 1971
FLIGHT 305
IDENTITY UNKNOWN
QUICK FACTS
DATE
November
24,
1971.
FLIGHT
Northwest
Orient
Flight 305
ROUTE
Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington
RANSOM
$200,000 in negotiable U.S. Currency
STATUS
Identity and whereabouts unknown
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
The FBI's official account of The Mystery of D.B Cooper.
QUICK FACTS
DATE
November 24, 1971.
FLIGHT
Northwest Orient Flight 305
ROUTE
Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington
RANSOM
$200,000 in negotiable U.S. Currency
STATUS
Identity and whereabouts unknown
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
The FBI's official account of The Mystery of D.B Cooper.
BACKGROUND
On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a man using the name Dan Cooper bought a one-way ticket for Flight 305 from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington.
Shortly after takeoff, he handed a note to flight attendant stating he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 and four parachutes.
When the aircraft landed in Seattle, the ransom was delivered. The passengers were released and the aircraft took off again for Mexico City. Sometime after takeoff, Cooper deployed his parachute and disappeared into the night.
CASE SNAPSHOT
Year
1971
Type
Hijacking
Airline
Northwest Orient Airlines
Flight
305
From
Portland (PDX)
To
Seattle (SEA)
Suspect
Unidentified (D.B. Cooper)
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1:00 PM
Cooper purchases a one-way ticket under the name of Dan Cooper.
2:50 PM
Flight 305 departs Portland International Airport.
3:00 PM
He hands a note to flight attendant claiming he has a bomb.
3:35 PM
Demands $200,000 and
four parachutes.
5:15 PM
Aircraft lands in Seattle. Ransom delivered in $20 bills.
5:30 PM
Passengers released. Cooper and crew take off for Mexico City.
8:00 PM
Cooper exits the aircraft
sometime after takeoff.
UNKNOWN
Then he vanishes without a trace.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1:00 PM
Cooper purchases a one-way ticket under the name of Dan Cooper.
2:50 PM
Flight 305 departs Portland International Airport.
3:00 PM
He hands a note to flight attendant claiming he has a bomb.
3:35 PM
Demands $200,000 and four
parachutes.
5:15 PM
Aircraft lands in Seattle. Ransom delivered in $20 bills.
5:30 PM
Passengers released. Cooper and crew take off for Mexico City.
8:00 PM
Cooper exits the aircraft sometime
after takeoff.
UNKNOWN
Then he vanishes
without a trace.
CONFIRMED FACTS
He used
the name
Dan Cooper.
He demanded $200,000 and four parachutes.
The ransom was supplied in
$20 bills.
He left the aircraft after it took off from Seattle.
His identity was never definitively established.
The FBI ended its active investigation in July 2016.
KEY EVIDENCE
THE PLANE TICKET
A one way ticket purchased using cash under the name Dan Cooper.
THE RANSOM MONEY
Most of the $200,000 ransom was later recovered along the Columbia River.
THE PARASHUTES
Four military surplus parachutes were delivered to Cooper in Seattle.
THE TIE
Cooper left behind his tie. It was examined for fingerprints and DNA.
OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
FBI INVESTIGATION
The FBI immediately opened the
case and named it 'NORJAK'. It remains one of the most famous cases in FBI history.
EVIDENCE EXAMINED
Agents examined thousands of leads, interviewed witnesses and analyzed physical evidence using evolving techniques.
SUSPECTS EXAMINED
Over the
years,
hundreds of
potential suspects
were examined. None were
positively identified.
FINAL
RESULT
No conclusive evidence has
ever
identified
Cooper or
confirmed
his fate.
CURRENT STATUS
CASE STATUS
UNSOLVED
In July 2016, the FBI redirected the resources
previously devoted to the active D.B. Cooper
investigation. Evidence will be prepared
and any specific physical evidence
related to the case can still be brought
to the FBI.
OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
FBI INVESTIGATION
The FBI immediately opened the
case and named it 'NORJAK'. It remains one of the most famous cases in FBI history.
EVIDENCE EXAMINED
Agents examined thousands of leads, interviewed witnesses and analyzed physical evidence using evolving techniques.
SUSPECTS EXAMINED
Over the years, hundreds of potential suspects were examined. None were positively identified.
FINAL
RESULT
No conclusive evidence has ever
identified Cooper or confirmed
his fate.
CURRENT STATUS
CASE STATUS
UNSOLVED
In July 2016, the FBI redirected the resources
previously devoted to the active D.B. Cooper
investigation. Evidence will be prepared
and any specific physical evidence
related to the case can still be brought
to the FBI.
DIFFERENT THEORIES
These are proposed explanations, not confirmed conclusions.
THEORY 1
Cooper Survived
It’s possible he landed safely and lived under a new identity.
STATUS:
UNCONFIRMED
THEORY 2
Did Not Survive
The jump may have been fatal due to weather, terrain or eroor.
STATUS:
UNCONFIRMED
THEORY 3
Inside Help
Some believe Cooper had assistance in planning.
STATUS:
UNCONFIRMED
THEORY 4
A Suspect Was Cooper
Several suspects were considered, but none were confirmed.