On a rainy afternoon on November 24, 1971—Thanksgiving Eve—a man walked up to the flight counter at Portland International Airport and purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle. He gave his name as “Dan Cooper.” The man, described as in his mid-40s, wore a dark suit, black tie, white shirt, and carried a briefcase. He looked like a businessman, calm and unremarkable.
Dan Cooper boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a short 30-minute trip to Seattle, carrying 36 passengers and six crew members. After takeoff, Cooper ordered a bourbon and soda, lit a cigarette, and handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner. At first, she thought it was just another passenger hitting on her and dropped it in her purse without reading it. But Cooper leaned in and whispered, “Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb.”
Inside the note, Cooper claimed he had an explosive device in his briefcase and calmly opened it to show her red sticks and wires—what appeared to be a bomb. Then he made his demands:
- $200,000 in cash (equivalent to over $1.3 million today)
- Four parachutes (two primary and two reserve)
- A fuel truck waiting in Seattle for refueling
- No funny business
The airline and authorities complied. When the plane landed in Seattle, passengers were released in exchange for the money and parachutes. Cooper kept the crew onboard and demanded the plane take off again, this time heading toward Mexico City, flying low and slow. Somewhere over the dense, rainy forests of southwestern Washington, Cooper opened the rear stairway door and jumped—disappearing into the dark night with a parachute and the money.
The Massive Manhunt
When the crew landed safely without Cooper, a manhunt unlike any other began. The FBI launched an operation known as NORJAK (short for “Northwest Hijacking”), interviewing hundreds of people, chasing thousands of leads, and examining evidence for years. But Cooper seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Investigators considered the jump incredibly risky. The weather was stormy, the terrain was rough, and Cooper was not dressed for survival—no helmet, no heavy clothing, and no guarantee of a soft landing. Some believed he died in the jump. Others thought he might have escaped and started a new life under a different identity.
Despite extensive searches in the suspected drop zone near Ariel, Washington, no conclusive evidence was found. In 1980, a break in the case seemed to come when an eight-year-old boy found $5,800 in decaying bills on the banks of the Columbia River—bills confirmed to match Cooper’s ransom money. But that discovery only deepened the mystery. How did the money get there? Why wasn’t the rest found?
The Suspects and Theories
Over the years, dozens of suspects have been proposed. Some seemed promising; many were longshots. A few notable ones include:
- Richard Floyd McCoy, a hijacker who pulled off a similar stunt months later, but was eventually caught. He denied being Cooper.
- Kenneth Christiansen, a former paratrooper and flight attendant. Some family members believed he was the hijacker, but evidence was inconclusive.
- Robert Rackstraw, a Vietnam vet with a criminal record. Some investigators, including a retired FBI agent, believed he matched the profile, but again, no hard proof.
None of these men—or anyone else—was ever charged or officially confirmed to be D.B. Cooper.
The Legend Lives On
In 2016, the FBI officially closed the case, citing a lack of new leads. Cooper’s true identity, fate, and motive remain unknown to this day. The mystery has inspired books, TV shows, movies, and even festivals. In the town of Ariel, Washington, an annual “D.B. Cooper Days” celebration honors the enduring mystery.
D.B. Cooper has become a legend—an outlaw hero to some, a ghost story to others. His daring act remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history. Whether he survived the jump or not, whether he was a criminal mastermind or a desperate man taking one last shot, one thing is certain:
D.B. Cooper vanished into thin air—and into the pages of American folklore.
🗂️ FBI Closes the Case
In July 2016, after 45 years of chasing leads, the FBI officially closed the D.B. Cooper case. They cited lack of new evidence and decided to focus their efforts elsewhere.
However, the mystery lives on. Amateur sleuths, authors, and journalists continue to search for answers. Some believe Cooper died in the jump. Others think he lived a quiet life under a new identity — a legend walking among us.
🧩 An Enduring Legend
D.B. Cooper remains the only hijacker in U.S. history who successfully escaped with ransom money and was never caught.
He has inspired countless theories, pop culture references, TV shows (like Loki, Prison Break, and Leverage), and even songs. His case represents something rare in the modern world — a mystery that defied the system.
Whether Cooper was a criminal mastermind or just lucky, his story continues to fascinate people across generations.
He was the man who jumped into the storm — and into history.