D.B. Cooper
The 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Flight 305 by a mysterious man who parachuted into the night with $200,000 ransom and was never identified or caught.
INVESTIGATION OVERVIEW
On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias 'Dan Cooper' hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 between Portland and Seattle. After demanding $200,000 and four parachutes, he released the passengers, refueled, and ordered the plane to take off again. Somewhere over southwestern Washington, he opened the rear door of the Boeing 727 and parachuted into a night storm. Despite the largest manhunt in FBI history, he was never found. A portion of the ransom money was discovered buried in a sandbar on the Columbia River in 1980, but the rest remains missing. The case is the only unsolved airplane hijacking in American history.
KEY CLAIMS
The hijacker was an experienced skydiver or military paratrooper
He likely died during the jump due to weather conditions
The remaining ransom money is still hidden somewhere
The FBI knows the hijacker's identity but cannot prove it
D.B. Cooper escaped and lived out his days under an assumed identity
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
FBI recovered $5,880 of the ransom money buried at Tena Bar in 1980
The hijacker's tie was left on the plane and advanced DNA analysis was performed
His description (based on crew testimony) was widely circulated
The parachute he used was a military-surplus model, suggesting experience
FBI interviewed over 800 suspects over 45 years
COUNTER ARGUMENTS
The tye DNA did not match any known suspect in the CODIS database
No remains or parachute were ever found, suggesting possible survival
The Tena Bar money could have been deposited there by natural river activity
His experience level is unknown; he requested specific parachutes he could not have used
Multiple suspects have been named but none conclusively proven
TIMELINE
Hijacking occurs; Cooper parachutes over Washington
Massive manhunt begins across the Pacific Northwest
Ransom money discovered at Tena Bar, Columbia River
FBI officially closes the active investigation
KEY FIGURES
D.B. Cooper
Alias of the hijacker (media misspelling of Dan Cooper)
Florence Schaffner
Flight attendant who had the most direct interaction with Cooper
William (Bill) Mitchell
FBI agent who led the investigation
ORGANIZATIONS
FBI
Law Enforcement
Northwest Orient Airlines
Private Company
SOURCES
RELATED ENTITIES
PEOPLE
D.B. Cooper
Florence Schaffner
William (Bill) Mitchell
ORGANIZATIONS
FBI
Northwest Orient Airlines
EVENTS
Hijacking occurs; Cooper parachutes over Washington
1971-11-24
Massive manhunt begins across the Pacific Northwest
1971-11-25
Ransom money discovered at Tena Bar, Columbia River
1980-02-10
FBI officially closes the active investigation
2016