Dan Cooper

The "D. B. Cooper" case is the only unsolved act of air piracy in US history. On November 24, 1971, a polite, nondescript, and dark-complexioned man calling himself "Dan Cooper" hijacked Northwest Airlines Flight 305, Boeing 727, between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. At Seattle International Airport, he demanded and received $200,000 and four parachutes, released the passengers, and ordered the crew to take him to Mexico. Somewhere along the way, he jumped. He was never found or identified. Forty-five years later, the FBI gave up the hunt. This book looks at the case from the perspective of a mathematician and pilot. It uses previously unexamined data and original-source documents, combined with the tools of statistics, aeronautics, and meteorology, to show where and how the FBI could resume the search and possibly find out at last who "D. B. Cooper" really was.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The true, unsolved story of D. B. Cooper’s 1971 airplane hijacking, one of the greatest cold cases of the twentieth century, by an author featured in D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!, now streaming on Netflix “Here is writing and storytelling that is vivid and fresh—a delectable adventure.”—Gay Talese “I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me.” That was the note handed to flight attendant Florence Schaffner by a mild-mannered passenger now known as D. B. Cooper on a Northwest Orient flight in 1971. It was also the start of one of the most astonishing aviation whodunits in the history of American true crime: how one man extorted $200,000 from an airline before parachuting into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, never to be seen again. The case of D. B. Cooper is a modern legend that has obsessed and cursed his pursuers for generations with everything from bankruptcy to suicidal despair. Now, with Skyjack, Geoffrey Gray obtains a first-ever look at the FBI’s confidential Cooper file, uncovering new leads in the infamous case. Starting with a crack tip from a private investigator, Gray plunges into the murky depths of the decades-old mystery to chase down new clues and explore secrets of the case’s most prominent suspects, including Ralph Himmelsbach, the most dogged of FBI agents, who watched with horror as a criminal became a counter-culture folk hero; Karl Fleming, a respected reporter whose career was destroyed by a D. B. Cooper scoop that was a scam; and Barbara Dayton, a transgender pilot who insisted she was Cooper herself. With explosive new information, Skyjack reopens one of the great cold cases of the twentieth century.

In the world of unresolved enigmas, there exists a story that has captured the imaginations of countless individuals, the curious, and the perplexed alike—the tale of D.B. Cooper. On a stormy night in the year 1971, a man who would come to be known as D.B. Cooper executed one of the most audacious and mysterious crimes in aviation history. He hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, extorted a substantial ransom, and then, in an act of sheer daring, parachuted into the darkness, vanishing into thin air. Over the decades that have passed, the legend of D.B. Cooper has only grown in intensity. This elusive figure has defied the most exhaustive investigative efforts, eluding capture and identification and leaving behind a riddle that continues to perplex and intrigue. Who was D.B. Cooper, and what became of him? How did he plan and execute such a daring act? Where did he disappear, and why? In the pages that follow, we embark on a journey into the heart of this enigmatic mystery, seeking to unravel the truth behind the legend. We will explore the events leading up to the fateful hijacking, the exhaustive investigations that followed, the speculative theories that have emerged, and the enduring fascination that has captivated the world. We will explore the intricacies of the D.B. Cooper case, examining the evidence, separating fact from fiction, and considering the psychological profile of a man who dared to challenge the bounds of possibility. Along the way, we will contemplate the impact of this singular event on aviation security and its lasting imprint on popular culture. But as we navigate through the twists and turns of this perplexing narrative, we must also acknowledge that, to this day, the legend remains shrouded in mystery. D.B. Cooper has become a symbol of defiance, a riddle that has refused to yield its secrets. As we embark on this journey, we invite you to join us in exploring the depths of this enduring enigma—a story of a skyjacker who, against all odds, vanished into thin air, leaving behind a legacy that endures in the annals of crime and the human imagination.

The 3rd Edition of DB Cooper and the FBI - A Case Study of America's Only Unsolved Skyjacking

From the duo behind the massively successful and award-winning podcast Stuff You Should Know comes an unexpected look at things you thought you knew. Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant started the podcast Stuff You Should Know back in 2008 because they were curious—curious about the world around them, curious about what they might have missed in their formal educations, and curious to dig deeper on stuff they thought they understood. As it turns out, they aren't the only curious ones. They've since amassed a rabid fan base, making Stuff You Should Know one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Armed with their inquisitive natures and a passion for sharing, they uncover the weird, fascinating, delightful, or unexpected elements of a wide variety of topics. The pair have now taken their near-boundless "whys" and "hows" from your earbuds to the pages of a book for the first time—featuring a completely new array of subjects that they’ve long wondered about and wanted to explore. Each chapter is further embellished with snappy visual material to allow for rabbit-hole tangents and digressions—including charts, illustrations, sidebars, and footnotes. Follow along as the two dig into the underlying stories of everything from the origin of Murphy beds, to the history of facial hair, to the psychology of being lost. Have you ever wondered about the world around you, and wished to see the magic in everyday things? Come get curious with Stuff You Should Know. With Josh and Chuck as your guide, there’s something interesting about everything (...except maybe jackhammers).

He jumped out of a Boeing 727 into the November chill of the Pacific Northwest in 1971. He was carrying $200,000 and a briefcase he said contained a bomb. No trace of the man known as D.B. Cooper has ever been found. Who was he? Where is he? Will the D. B.Cooper mystery ever be solved?

Put on your detective hat and uncover the facts and myths about the D. B. Cooper hijacking. Topics discussed include the details behind the Flight 305 hijacking, the history of the airline industry and hijackings, air safety and security measures at the time, the hunt for Cooper, confessions from people claiming to be Cooper, and theories about what happened to Cooper and who he was. Features include a Tools and Clues section that highlights research tools, technology, and investigative methods, a timeline, a glossary, selected bibliography, further readings, places to visit, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Looks at the investigation into the two airplane hijackings in which Richard McCoy, also known as D.B. Cooper, parachuted from the planes with the ransom money