Who is D. B. Cooper?

D. B. Cooper: The Skyjacker Who Vanished Without a Trace

On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a nondescript man stepped up to the counter of Northwest Orient Airlines at Portland International Airport, purchased a one‑way ticket to Seattle, Washington, and quietly changed the course of aviation history. He paid in cash and gave a name that would echo through decades of speculation: Dan Cooper.

But thanks to a reporting error, the world would come to know him as D. B. Cooper – a name that appears nowhere in the official records of the hijacking but became indelibly fixed in the mythology of unsolved crimes.

Who was this man? That remains the central mystery.

Eyewitnesses on Flight 305 described him as a white male, in his mid‑forties, about 5′10″ to 6′1″ tall, with dark hair and brown eyes, wearing a business suit, raincoat, and thin tie. He carried a black attaché case and a brown paper bag and behaved calmly, even ordering a bourbon and soda after takeoff.

The Hijacking Begins

Shortly after takeoff, D. B. Cooper passed a folded note to a flight attendant. Ignoring the casual demeanor, she read it: the note stated that he had a bomb in his briefcase. When she asked to see it, Cooper opened the attaché, revealing what looked like sticks of dynamite surrounded by wires and connected to a battery.

The note contained clear demands:

$200,000 in ransom (equivalent to over a million dollars today)
Four parachutes
No tricks

He instructed that if the authorities did not comply, he would detonate the device.

The pilots and flight crew were understandably alarmed, but they complied. Cooper demanded that the plane land at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. There, authorities assembled the ransom money and the requested parachutes while passengers and most of the crew were kept unaware of the danger.

When the plane touched down in Seattle, 36 passengers and two flight attendants were released in exchange for the ransom and parachutes. Only a handful of crew members remained, ordered to prepare the aircraft for a second leg.

Cooper then instructed the pilots to fly toward Mexico City, with specific instructions to maintain a low altitude and slow speed—likely to ease the conditions for his planned exit.

The Parachute Jump Into the Unknown

Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, in the dark of a stormy night around 8:00 p.m., Cooper walked to the rear of the Boeing 727.

He lowered the aft airstair—a unique feature of the 727 only operable in flight—and leapt into the night with a parachute and the ransom money strapped to him.

He was never seen again.

The flight continued on to Reno, and only then did authorities realize what had happened.

Search teams combed the rugged forests and mountainous terrain of the Pacific Northwest, but found no trace of the man or his parachute.

This dramatic—and seemingly successful—escape marked the only unsolved hijacking in the annals of U.S. commercial aviation.

The Evidence Left Behind

Though D. B. Cooper disappeared without a trace, he didn’t leave nothing behind.

Aircraft investigators collected a handful of items from Flight 305 with direct links to the hijacker:

A clip‑on black tie, which he removed before the jump
A mother‑of‑pearl tie clip
Cigarette butts from the plane’s ashtray
A strand of hair from the seat where he sat

These items were carefully documented and analyzed, though fingerprints proved elusive.

Years later, forensic analysis of that tie revealed something intriguing: over 100,000 microscopic particles, including rare metals like unalloyed titanium and bismuth. The presence of these particles sparked speculation that Cooper may have worked around specialized manufacturing—possibly even aviation or aerospace industries.

Yet even with these clues, investigators could not identify him.

The Ransom Money That Surfaced

Nearly a decade after the hijacking, in 1980, a young boy was digging in the sand along the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington, when he uncovered a small, deteriorated package containing $5,800 in $20 bills.

These bills, in the exact denominations and with serial numbers matching the ransom money, were the only portion of the $200,000 ever found. It was a tantalizing discovery that confirmed at least part of Cooper’s flight path—but also deepened the mystery.

If Cooper survived the jump and escaped with most of the money, where did it go? If he died on impact, how did these bills end up buried near the river? Researchers have tried to map likely landing zones and survival corridors, but the terrain and the absence of evidence make definitive answers impossible.

FBI Investigation: NORJAK

The FBI launched an investigation codenamed NORJAK (Northwest Hijacking), which became one of the most exhaustive probes in the agency’s history.

Agents interviewed hundreds of witnesses, followed thousands of leads, and combed through more than 800 suspects—a number that dominated the agency’s files for years.

Among the more notable avenues:

Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., who executed a nearly identical parachute hijacking months later. Though initially intriguing, he was ruled out for physical and timeline reasons.
Hundreds of lesser‑known suspects, including a man wheelchair‑bound and many others from aviation, military, and engineering backgrounds, were investigated and dismissed.
Some individuals even tried to claim the identity of Cooper, including a man who attempted to extort money using fake ransom bills—resulting in his arrest and conviction.

Despite all this, the FBI never identified a definitive suspect. In 2016, the agency announced it was closing the official investigation, concluding that resources were better directed elsewhere after decades of fruitless pursuit.

Why Doesn’t D. B. Cooper Appear in Official Records?

It’s worth noting that “D. B. Cooper” was not the hijacker’s real name. According to the historical record, he purchased his ticket under the name Dan Cooper.

Early press coverage—rushed and incomplete—reported the name as D. B. Cooper due to a miscommunication. That misnomer stuck and became the moniker under which the case has been known ever since.

Theories About Cooper’s Fate

Almost every theory about Cooper’s fate falls into one of a few broad categories:

1. He Survived and Evaded Capture

Some believe Cooper was prepared for the jump and had a plan on the ground—possibly a nearby rendezvous point or a stash location. Advocates of this theory argue that the lack of corpses or confirmed remains suggests survival.

Yet if he survived and kept most of the money, why did so little ever show up in circulation?

2. He Perished in the Wilderness

The FBI has long suggested that Cooper’s jump was extremely perilous—made in nearly pitch‑black conditions, in a storm, wearing ordinary clothes and unsuitable shoes for rough terrain. Coupled with a parachute that could not be steered and rugged backwoods below, this theory holds that he likely did not survive the descent.

If he died, natural forces would have scattered evidence over decades, explaining why so little has ever been found.

3. He Was an Insider or Aviator

Some investigators speculated that Cooper might have had specific training—perhaps military parachute experience or familiarity with aircraft systems—because of how he chose his plane and jump parameters. Yet forensic evidence and later analysis suggested he was not an expert parachutist, partly because he chose an inferior parachute and even a “training” chute that was sewn shut.

4. Family or Personal Motive Theories

In recent years, amateur sleuths and authors have proposed personality‑linked theories: one suggests that a man named Joe Lakich could plausibly have been Cooper, pointing to personal trauma and motive. These theories are speculative and lack corroborating evidence but show how rich the Cooper mystery remains in cultural imagination.

Cultural Ripples: Cooper in the Public Imagination

D. B. Cooper has lodged himself deep in American and global culture. Books, documentaries, podcasts, songs, and movies have tried to tell—or reinvent—his story.

Musicians reference him in lyrics, authors use him as a symbol of audacity, and mystery lovers debate theories in forums and gatherings. The myth of the man who pulled off the “perfect crime” has become larger than the historical facts, partly because the absence of answers invites imagination.

Legacy and Impact

The Cooper hijacking had a direct impact on aviation security, precipitating reforms:

Metal detectors became standard at airports
Checked baggage screening was expanded
Tighter procedures for passenger identification and ticket purchase were introduced

In other words, the shock of a single crime helped transform how the world thinks about air travel safety.

Most Boeing 727 aircraft were fitted with a device popularly known as the “Cooper vane”, a mechanical latch that prevents the rear airstair from being lowered in flight – effectively blocking the method Cooper used to escape.

The Enduring Mystery

Decades on, D. B. Cooper remains a fascinating puzzle: a crime with no named suspect, a disappearance with no confirmed conclusion, and a story that refuses to fade from public consciousness.