- Joined
- Jun 25, 2015
- Messages
- 60,096
- Likes
- 60,604
- Points
- 113
51 years ago today, a man walk into the Portland International Airport and bought a ticket. He gave gave the name Dan Cooper.
He boarded the plane, a 727 with rear aft stairs and sat in the back. He ordered a bourbon and Seven-Up and passed a note to a stewardess. She thought he was flirting, giving her his number and put it in her pocket. He implored her to open it and asked her to sit next to him, where he opened his suitcase revealing what appeared to be a bomb, but was likely flares and wires made up to look like an explosive.
He demanded $200,000 in negotiable American currency and four parachutes. The plane circled the Seattle area as they waited for the demands to be met. Cooper pointed out McChord Air force base was nearby.
He was exceedingly calm and collected, never mean to stewardess or passengers. He smoked 8 cigarettes and drank several bourbons of which he paid for.
The plane landed, window covers down and a stewardess left to collect the money and parachutes. When she returned he let the passengers and a few of the stewardesses go. She brought instructions with the parachutes. Cooper said he didn't need them.
He set further demands, asking for a refill of the fuel for the plane, and for the plane to fly to Mexico. He asked for the plane to fly at 10,000 feet with the landing gear and flaps down. He asked that the stewardess open the aft stairs. This demand was not met, leading Cooper to say he would do it himself.
He was told the plane could not make it to Mexico without another refill. Cooper was offered Reno and other cities as refuel points. He chose Reno but the pilot not Cooper chose the flight path.
Into the flight, Cooper asked Mucklow, the stewardess who stayed aboard to open the aft stairs. She said she was afraid she would get sucked out, and he told her he would do it and sent her to the cockpit.
As she went, she turned and begged him to take the bomb. He said he would take it or disarm it. She last saw Cooper tying the money bag to him using cords of one the parachutes.
Of the four parachutes Cooper took the older one, a Military chute, as well as a backup shoot that was sewn shut. He took the briefcase with the bomb in it, and paper bag he had brought, but left a clip on tie and 8 cigarette butts. The glass he had been drinking bourbon from had been mixed with others on a cart. He made sure to get his note back and his matchup which the stewardess was going to "throw away".
Just after 8:00 PM the pilots felt a jarring bounce as the aft stairs were opened and Cooper jumped into the night into 10 degree freezing rain at 10,000 feet somewhere over southern Washington. He was never seen again. No trace of him found...other than a packet of a small amount of the money buried at Tina Bar on the Columbia 8 years later.
There have been lots of suspects, multiple who confessed on their deathbeds to bring Cooper, and many others who's families suspected them of being the skyjacker.
The FBI accidentally threw away the cigarette butts. The tie was tested to find several rare earth metals, pointing towards Cooper working in an airplane manufacturing plant or some other plant using these metals.
Cooper was thought to be familiar with Washington as he referenced McChord Air force base and pointed out Tacoma as they flew over it.
He was thought to have parachuting, probably military experience as he didn't need instructions for the parachutes. He was also thought to be familiar with planes, as he new how to use the aft stairs and that it was safe to fly with them open. He also knew the proper airspeeds and height at which a jump was safe.
Who is DB (Dan) Cooper?
He boarded the plane, a 727 with rear aft stairs and sat in the back. He ordered a bourbon and Seven-Up and passed a note to a stewardess. She thought he was flirting, giving her his number and put it in her pocket. He implored her to open it and asked her to sit next to him, where he opened his suitcase revealing what appeared to be a bomb, but was likely flares and wires made up to look like an explosive.
He demanded $200,000 in negotiable American currency and four parachutes. The plane circled the Seattle area as they waited for the demands to be met. Cooper pointed out McChord Air force base was nearby.
He was exceedingly calm and collected, never mean to stewardess or passengers. He smoked 8 cigarettes and drank several bourbons of which he paid for.
The plane landed, window covers down and a stewardess left to collect the money and parachutes. When she returned he let the passengers and a few of the stewardesses go. She brought instructions with the parachutes. Cooper said he didn't need them.
He set further demands, asking for a refill of the fuel for the plane, and for the plane to fly to Mexico. He asked for the plane to fly at 10,000 feet with the landing gear and flaps down. He asked that the stewardess open the aft stairs. This demand was not met, leading Cooper to say he would do it himself.
He was told the plane could not make it to Mexico without another refill. Cooper was offered Reno and other cities as refuel points. He chose Reno but the pilot not Cooper chose the flight path.
Into the flight, Cooper asked Mucklow, the stewardess who stayed aboard to open the aft stairs. She said she was afraid she would get sucked out, and he told her he would do it and sent her to the cockpit.
As she went, she turned and begged him to take the bomb. He said he would take it or disarm it. She last saw Cooper tying the money bag to him using cords of one the parachutes.
Of the four parachutes Cooper took the older one, a Military chute, as well as a backup shoot that was sewn shut. He took the briefcase with the bomb in it, and paper bag he had brought, but left a clip on tie and 8 cigarette butts. The glass he had been drinking bourbon from had been mixed with others on a cart. He made sure to get his note back and his matchup which the stewardess was going to "throw away".
Just after 8:00 PM the pilots felt a jarring bounce as the aft stairs were opened and Cooper jumped into the night into 10 degree freezing rain at 10,000 feet somewhere over southern Washington. He was never seen again. No trace of him found...other than a packet of a small amount of the money buried at Tina Bar on the Columbia 8 years later.
There have been lots of suspects, multiple who confessed on their deathbeds to bring Cooper, and many others who's families suspected them of being the skyjacker.
The FBI accidentally threw away the cigarette butts. The tie was tested to find several rare earth metals, pointing towards Cooper working in an airplane manufacturing plant or some other plant using these metals.
Cooper was thought to be familiar with Washington as he referenced McChord Air force base and pointed out Tacoma as they flew over it.
He was thought to have parachuting, probably military experience as he didn't need instructions for the parachutes. He was also thought to be familiar with planes, as he new how to use the aft stairs and that it was safe to fly with them open. He also knew the proper airspeeds and height at which a jump was safe.
Who is DB (Dan) Cooper?
