D.B. Cooper — Unsolved Hijacking
On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias "Dan Cooper" (later misidentified as "D.B. Cooper") hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305 between Portland and Seattle, extorted $200,000 in ransom, and parachuted from the rear of the Boeing 727 into the Pacific Northwest night. He was never identified or found. It remains the only unsolved commercial airline hijacking in U.S. history.
Case overview
On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 727 aircraft (Flight 305) en route from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. After landing in Seattle, he released the 36 passengers in exchange for 200,000 dollars in ransom money and four parachutes. He then ordered the crew to fly toward Mexico City. Somewhere over the forests of southwestern Washington state, the hijacker opened the aft airstairs of the aircraft and parachuted into the night. He was never seen again.
[The case — popularly known as "D.B. Cooper" due to a media miscommunication of the original alias — became one of the most enduring unsolved mysteries in American criminal history.](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57576554) It remains the only unsolved case of aerial piracy in commercial aviation history.
The hijacking began when Cooper, described as a middle-aged white man in a dark suit with a black tie and mother-of-pearl tie clip, boarded Flight 305 at Portland International Airport around 2:00 p.m. on the afternoon before Thanksgiving. Shortly after takeoff, he passed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner indicating that he had a bomb in his briefcase. He opened the briefcase to show her what appeared to be red cylinders with wires, consistent with a bomb.
Cooper calmly dictated his demands: 200,000 dollars in "negotiable American currency," four parachutes (two front and two back), and a fuel truck standing by in Seattle to refuel the aircraft. Northwest Orient and the FBI complied with his demands. The bills — 10,000 twenty-dollar bills — were assembled from several banks and their serial numbers were recorded on microfilm.
After the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Cooper released all passengers and one flight attendant, collected the money and parachutes, and ordered the remaining crew to fly the aircraft toward Mexico City at low altitude and low speed. These specific instructions suggested familiarity with the Boeing 727's unique ventral airstairs, which could be lowered during flight.
At approximately 8:13 p.m., as the aircraft flew over the Lewis River area near the town of Ariel, Washington, the crew noticed a sudden change in cabin pressure indicating the rear stairs had been deployed. Cooper had jumped. U.S. Air Force fighter jets that had been scrambled to follow the aircraft lost visual contact in heavy overcast and rain. Despite an extensive ground search of the suspected drop zone, no trace of Cooper was found.
The only physical evidence recovered came in February 1980, when an eight-year-old boy named Brian Ingram discovered three bundles of deteriorating twenty-dollar bills totaling approximately 5,800 dollars on the banks of the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington. The serial numbers matched the ransom bills. No other physical evidence has ever been found — no parachute, no remains, no additional money.
The FBI's investigation into the D.B. Cooper hijacking, known as NORJAK (Northwest Hijacking), became one of the longest and most extensive cases in the agency's history. Over the course of 45 years, the FBI investigated more than 1,000 suspects and collected evidence from across the Pacific Northwest.
Prominent suspects investigated included Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., a Vietnam veteran and experienced skydiver who committed a similar hijacking in April 1972 and was killed by FBI agents during a subsequent arrest; Robert Rackstraw, a former Army helicopter pilot; and Kenneth Christiansen, a former Northwest Orient purser. None were ever charged, and the FBI stated that none of their top suspects could be conclusively linked to the crime.
[The FBI officially suspended active investigation of the D.B. Cooper case on July 12, 2016, after 45 years.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2016/07/12/fbi-closes-active-investigation-into-d-b-cooper-hijacking/) The agency stated that although it was no longer actively investigating leads, it would accept "any legitimate physical evidence — not speculation — related to the hijacking."
The case inspired the formation of an independent citizen investigation team called the Cooper Research Team, which has continued to analyze evidence and pursue leads since the FBI's suspension. In 2017, a private citizen claimed to have found a parachute strap in the suspected drop zone, but forensic analysis was inconclusive.
No statute of limitations applies to the federal charge of air piracy, meaning the hijacker — if alive — could still be charged. However, given the passage of more than fifty years and the hijacker's estimated age at the time of the crime, most investigators believe Cooper is likely deceased.
July 12, 2016
FBI Closes Active Investigation After 45 Years
The FBI officially closes its active NORJAK investigation, stating it has "exhausted all credible leads." The case file is transferred to cold case archives. Investigators note that any remaining resources would be better devoted to other unsolved crimes. D.B. Cooper's identity remains officially unknown.
Source →July 1, 2011
FBI Releases Partial Evidence — Seeks New Leads
The FBI releases previously withheld evidence from the Cooper case, including a partial DNA profile obtained from the tie Cooper left on the plane and a parachute fragment. The agency seeks public tips that might match the evidence.
Source →February 10, 1980
Ransom Bills Found Along Columbia River
Eight-year-old Brian Ingram discovers 294 deteriorating $20 bills along the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington. Serial numbers match the Cooper ransom. The physical condition and location suggest the bills were deposited by water movement, not by a living person who spent them.
Source →January 1, 1972
NORJAK Investigation Begins — 1,000+ Suspects Over 45 Years
The FBI's NORJAK (Northwest Hijacking) investigation becomes the longest continuous investigation in FBI history. More than 1,000 suspects are investigated. Multiple credible candidates emerge and are eliminated over the following decades.
Source →November 24, 1971
Hijacking of Northwest Orient Flight 305
"Dan Cooper" boards Northwest Orient Flight 305 in Portland, passes a note to a flight attendant claiming to have a bomb, and demands $200,000 cash and four parachutes. The plane diverts to Seattle where demands are met and passengers released. Cooper then parachutes from the rear stairs over Washington state.
Source →Relationship data not yet mapped — nodes positioned by force simulation.
$200,000 Ransom — 294 Bills Found in 1980
Cooper demanded $200,000 in unmarked, non-sequential $20 bills (about $1.5 million in 2024 dollars) and received them from Northwest Airlines. In February 1980, a bundle of 294 bills matching the ransom's serial numbers was discovered along the Columbia River, the only portion of the ransom ever recovered.
en.wikipedia.orgNecktie Left on the Plane — Partial DNA Profile
Cooper left a black clip-on necktie on the plane when he donned one of the parachutes. The FBI later extracted a partial DNA profile from cells recovered from the tie. In 2011, the profile was made public in an effort to generate leads. No match has been established.
en.wikipedia.orgFBI Composite Sketch of D.B. Cooper
The FBI released two composite sketches of the hijacker based on descriptions from flight attendants and crew. The sketch shows a middle-aged man with dark features. Despite being one of the most widely distributed FBI wanted images in history, no confirmed match has ever been made.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (public domain, US government work)Flight Crew Descriptions and Witness Accounts
Flight attendant Tina Mucklow spent the most time with the hijacker and provided the most detailed physical description: male, mid-40s, approximately 6 feet tall, olive complexion, dark hair, dark sunglasses, dark business suit, plain tie, and brown loafer shoes. She described him as calm, polite, and businesslike.
en.wikipedia.orgFBI Wanted Poster — Northwest Airlines Hijacking
The FBI wanted poster for the unidentified hijacker, issued following the November 24, 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Flight 305. The poster offered a $10,000 reward (later increased) for information leading to the identification and arrest of "D.B. Cooper."
Federal Bureau of Investigation (public domain, US government work)