Sketches of the mysterious DB Cooper compiled from descriptions by passengers and crew from the hijacked
flight. (FBI)
A hijacker who became known as D.B. Cooper parachuted from
a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 into a raging thunderstorm over Washington State. He had $200,000 in ransom money in his
possession. His brazen crime still stands as one of the most
mysterious in history.
Most authorities have assumed he died during his seemingly
suicidal jump. No trace of Cooper was ever found after a massive
search.
Cooper’s true identity has never been determined conclusively.
Cooper commandeered the aircraft shortly after takeoff, showing
a flight attendant something that looked like a bomb and informing
the crew that he wanted $200,000, four parachutes, and “no funny
stuff.” The plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,
where authorities met Cooper’s demands and evacuated most of
the passengers.
N467US, the Northwest aircraft involved in the hijacking.
Crew of Flight 305 upon landing in Reno: (left to right)
Captain William Scott, Co-pilot Bill Rataczak, Flight
Attendant Tina Mucklow, Flight Engineer Harold E.
Anderson.
