SE 164-81 — aerial searches, Portland International Airport investigation, parachute/flying clubs, airline ticket
Also filed separately as sections:
- Summary report: airports, flying clubs, flight schools, parachute and skydiving clubs
- Investigative insert re parachute club source on skydiving mechanics and VOR navigation
- Insert re airports, flying clubs, flight schools, parachute and skydiving clubs (SE 164-81, CRS:md)
- Page re dissemination of artist's conception and suspect description
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Id: Cooper-Part-110:281-292
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-110:281-292 Document: Report SE 164-81 — aerial searches, Portland International Airport investigation, parachute/flying clubs, airline ticket Id: Cooper-Part-110:281-292 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-110%3A281-292 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
A person reads every report. Corrections are made by hand, to the data — titles, dates, names, which pages belong together — never to the scans, and they can take a while to appear.
FBI 164-81, Vault Part 110 pp. 281–292 (DB Cooper-589–600), Report — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-110%3A281-292
SE 164-81 [crossed out: PM 64-41] RPH csm 2
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b6 per FBI and FAA b7C per FBI and FAA
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On November 30, 1971, SA THOMAS G. ACKERMAN air-searched the portion of the hijack route from Eugene, Oregon to the Grants Pass, Oregon area in a fixed-wing light aircraft piloted by [REDACTED] Eugene. On the same date, the route from the Grants Pass area south to the Oregon-California border was flown by SA [REDACTED] in a light fixed-wing aircraft operated by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel.
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In addition, arrangements were made on November 30, 1971 with [REDACTED] Chief Pilots, respectively, of Bonneville Power Administration, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, to instruct the fixed-wing and helicopter pilots of both services flying along the hijack route in this matter to be alert for anything relating to the hijacker.
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On November 30, 1971, [REDACTED] FAA, caused an examination and verifi- cation of the log of pre-flight weather briefings given to general aviation pilots who contacted this station on November 24, 1971, and advised that all such contacts appeared to be legitimate, resulting in no suggested suspects in this matter.
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Subsequent to the availability of the composite artist's conception sketches in this matter, persons in logical capacities at Portland International Airport were recontacted and shown the sketches, with negative results.
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State of California
An aerial search of the route flown by the hijacked aircraft, was conducted on 12/13/71, by Agents of the FBI, who were either experienced pilots or parachutists, utilizing a rented Cessna 182. Results of the search were negative.
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State of Nevada
On 11/26/71, a detailed search of the entire route of travel of the hijacked aircraft was conducted in the State of Nevada, with negative results.
A search was made from small low-flying, slow- speed aircraft, and by four-wheel land vehicles in areas which could not be completely covered by aircraft observation.
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INVESTIGATION AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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The following is a summary of investigation conducted by Portland Division in this matter:
AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PIA):
On the evening of November 24, 1971, beginning while the hijacking was in progress, Portland Agents interviewed airport, airlines and security personnel, taxicab and bus drivers, gift shop, insurance stands, car storage lot, car rental agency, coffee shop, cocktail lounge and dining room personnel in an effort to identify the unknown subject or develop background information. All interviews were negative except those with the Northwest Airlines ticket agent who sold unknown subject the ticket and the Boarding Gate Clerk, interviews of whom are reported separately.
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AIRPORTS, FLYING CLUBS, FLIGHT SCHOOLS, PARACHUTE CLUBS
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AIRPORTS, FLYING CLUBS, FLIGHT SCHOOLS, PARACUTE AND SKYDIVING CLUBS
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On the possibility that subject might have rented an airplane and flown over the area of Southwest Washington or might have chartered a plane for the same purpose, the following investigation was conducted in the State of Washington but failed to identify the subject:
An artist's conception and composite description of subject was exhibited to owners and operators of each flying school, each airfield and airport, each company renting or chartering aircraft, and each skydiving school and club.
Similar inquiry has been conducted at the Portland International Airport and at airports at Aurora and Donald, Oregon in Marion County, Oregon, and is being conducted through- out the remaining portion of the State of Oregon.
All skydiving clubs, parachute clubs and affiliated or related organizations have been and/or are being contacted nationally and subject's composite description and artist's conception is being displayed among the various memberships in an effort to identify the subject.
A list of all affiliated clubs of the U. S. Parachute Association for the entire United States as well as an index of the members of the affiliated clubs for the states of California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho and Arizona have been obtained. This will insure control over this facet of the investigation.
An international skydiving meet was held December 4, 1971 at Abbottsford, B.C., Canada.
Parachutists from the Western United States and Canada participated. Wide distribution of the artist's conception and composite description of subject was made among the participants without effecting any positive ident- ification.
The artist's conception of subject and the following article will be published in the January, 1972 issue of "Parachutists", the monthly bulletin of the U. S. Parachute
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Association, with headquarters at Monterey, California, and the membership is estimated at between 10,000 and 40,000 members depending on activity.
"Enclosed is an artist's conception of the hijacker who extorted two hundred thousand dollars from Northwest Airlines on November 24, 1971. This man is described as follows:
"Race-white; sex-male; age mid-forties; height- five feet ten inches to six feet; weight-170 to 180 pounds; build-average to well built; complexion olive, latin appear- ance, medium smooth; hair-dark brown or black; normal style, parted on left, combed back; sideburns, low ear level; eyes-possibly brown. During latter part of flight put on dark, wrap around sunglasses with dark rims. Voice low, spoke intelligently, no particular accent, possibly from Midwest section of the United States. Characteristic-heavy smoker of Raleigh filter tip cigarettes. Wearing- apparel= black suit; white shirt, narrow black tie; black dress suit; black rain-type overcoat or dark top coat; dark briefcase or attache case; carried paper bag four inches by twelve inches by fourteen inches; brown shoes.
"If you have any information which might lead to the identity of this individual, please contact the nearest FBI Office."
The same article will also appear in the January, 1972 issue of "Skydivers", monthly publication subscribed to by many parachute enthusiasts.
Efforts are being made to include the same article in "Pilot Bulletin", official monthly publication of the Airline Pilots Association, Washington, D.C.
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A major jump center on the West Coast has been identified as the Elsinore Paricenter, Inc., Elsinore, Calif- ornia. Each person making a first jump at this location, regardless of prior experience, must fill out a registra- tion form bearing identifying information.
On December 3, 1971, Special Agents EDWARD A. ROMANOFF and [REDACTED] reviewed approximately 12,000 registration
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cards of parachutists who have jumped from the Elsinore Paricenter, Inc. 433 registration cards were photographed representing those jumpers who registered at the Elsinore Paricenter, Inc., since 1969 and fit within the physical description limits of 35-55 years of age, 150-190 pounds, and five feet eight inches to six feet one inch in height.
A systematic review of these cards is being conducted to possibly identify subject.
Registration cards prior to 1969 do not contain height data. Such cards, numbering approximately 18,000, date back to 1957.
On December 10, 1971, flight records for the month of August, 1971 were photographed at the Elsinore Paricenter, Inc. These records contained the last names of the jumpers, the altitude from which they jumped, and the name of the pilot and date.
A review of these flight records December 14-15, 1971 revealed the last names on these records match 31 individuals whose descriptions match those of subject and who jumped from the Elsinore Paricenter during the month of August, 1971. Sixteen of the individuals whose cards were photographed were eliminated as possible suspects by interviews. The remaining 15 possible suspects are being systematically reviewed in an effort to identify the subject.
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SE 164-81 TJM:kdl
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On November 27, 1971 [REDACTED] a man who is familiar with parachute clubs and jumpers in the southwestern part of Washington and northern part of Oregon, advised that a person jumping from a plane at about 7000 feet who had experience could free fall and while doing so could count to 25 seconds which would then place him at 3000 feet and for this reason no altimeter would be needed. He pointed out that if the subject could have seen the ground there would be no problem in landing if he had experience as a jumper. He further pointed out that his experience as a jumper shows him that the subject would not have needed jump boots, a helmet, jump suit, or any other special equipment for he and other chutists jump in shorts, tennis shoes, and other non-jumping equipment when weather conditions are right. He also pointed out that the subject could land within one mile of a pin point spot picked if he had experience and knew when to jump. Further, he stated the subject would have travelled 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from the drop line from the plane in a 30 mile per hour wind if he opened his chute at 3000 feet. [REDACTED] also advised that he could also state that if the subject had experience he would know that the easiest place to put a container with the money would be between his legs and this would not cause any problems on landing or during descent. [REDACTED] suggested one person whom he thought could be capable of the hijacking and that would be DANNY GORMAN, who is a good and experienced parachutist and pilot.
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[REDACTED] advised that the parachute clubs in the area he is familiar with are the Pacific Parachute Club which uses Donald airfield 30 miles south of Portland, Oregon, and the Western Sport Parachute Center which uses both the Frink field and the Hockinson field near Vancouver, Washington; he pointed out that Puckett airfield is no longer used as a jump center.
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On November 28, 1971 [REDACTED] Vancouver Piper Aviation, 209 East Reserve Street, Vancouver, Wash- ington, was contacted and advised that he and a group of experienced pilots had been discussing the hijacking and he advanced the theory that in view of the cloud cover on the night of November 24, 1971 only an experienced jumper knowing
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the area would have attempted such a jump and further that a small control receiver such as a Very High Frequency Omni Receiver (VOR) or a ground beacon receiver unit could have been utilized to secure an almost pin point landing. He also pointed out that in the vicinity of Cougar, Wash- ington which is located in Cowlitz County at the northeastern end of Yale Lake, there is an air traffic intersection used by instrument rated pilots to secure their location and such an intersection could have been utilized by the hijacker with a portable receiving unit.
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II
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AIRLINE TICKET
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The passenger who boarded Northwest Airline (NWA) Flight #305, at Portland, Oregon, 11/24/71, using the name DAN COOPER, purchased his ticket at Portland International Airport, from [REDACTED], NWA. Information furnished by [REDACTED] is set forth in a section of this report entitled "INTERVIEWS WITH WITNESSES."
"COOPER" paid cash, using a $20 bill to purchase a one way, coach ticket from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington.
The flight coupon for the above ticket, according to [REDACTED] NWA, Portland, on 12/6/71, was forwarded to NWA Headquarters at Minneapolis, - Minnesota. || The ticket was obtained from NWA Headquarters on 12/7/71 and forwarded to the FBI Laboratory that date, for latent fingerprint examination.
On 12/14/71, the FBI Laboratory advised that no latent fingerprints of value were found on the above ticket.
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b6 b7C
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