FAA Air Transportation Security Intelligence Summary No. 14-71 re NW Flight 305 hijacking

b6 per FAA b7C per FAA

---

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

DATE: 10 DECEMBER 1971

FROM: FAA SAN-ATSFO

TO: ACA, AAL, HAW, DAL, NAL, PSA, PSA (MR. GARDELLA), UAL, WAL, SCSU, SDUSM, AIRPORT MANAGER, HARBOR POLICE, SDPD, FBI

FAA AIR TRANSPORTATION SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY NO. 14-71 SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL HIJACKING/EXTORTION, NW 305, 24 NOVEMBER 1971 ON 24 NOVEMBER 1971 A LONE MALE, IDENTIFIED ONLY AS D.B. COOPER, LATE 40'S TALL AND SLIM, BOARDED NW 305, A B-727, AT PORTLAND, OREGON, ON A FLIGHT TO SEATTLE. EN ROUTE, HE HANDED A NOTE TO ONE OF THE STEWARDESSES STATING THAT HE HAD A BOMB IN HIS BRIEFCASE AND WAS HIJACKING THE AIRCRAFT. HE ORDERED THE STEWARDESS TO INSTRUCT THE CAPTAIN AND COMPANY OFFICIALS THAT HE WAS DEMANDING $200,000 AND THAT HE WANTED 4 PARACHUTES (2 CHEST AND 2 BACK PACKS). HE SHOWED THE STEWARDESS THAT HIS BRIEFCASE CONTAINED SEVERAL RED STICKS WIRE AND A BATTERY. THE COMPANY AGREED TO THE MAN'S DEMANDS. NW 305 ORBITTED NEAR SEATTLE WHILE THE REQUESTED MONEY AND PARACHUTES WERE ASSEMBLED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT SEATAC AT 1742L. AFTER THE RANSOM AND PARACHUTES WERE PLACED ABOARD, COOPER ALLOWED THE 36 PASSENGERS AND 2 OF THE 3 STEWARDESSES TO DEPLANE. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING REFUELED, THE HIJACKER ORDERED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TAKE OFF WITH THE REAR DOOR EXTENDED, THAT THE CAPTAIN FLY NO HIGHER THAN 10,000 ALTITUDE AT A SPEED NOT IN EXCESS OF 200 MPH, WITH FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR DOWN, AND THAT ALL LIGHTS, INCLUDING CABIN LIGHTS, BE EXTINGUISHED WHILE EN ROUTE. HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE DOOR COULD NOT BE FULLY EXTENDED ON TAKEOFF, SO HE AGREED THAT IT SHOULD ONLY BE LEFT OPENED. NW 305 DEPARTED SEATTLE WITH 3 FLIGHT CREW, 1 STEWARDESS AND THE HIJACKER AT 1936L. ALLEGEDLY THE FINAL DESTINATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO BE MEXICO CITY AND THE CAPTAIN INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE FUEL STOPS AT RENO AND YUMA. DUE TO THE LOWERED GEAR, FLAPS AND REAR DOOR, AIR SPEED WAS REDUCED TO 170 KNOTS. EN ROUTE, THE HIJACKER REMAINED ON THE FLIGHT DECK. THE HIJACKER PULLED THE CURTAIN SHUT BETWEEN FIRST AND COACH CLASSES, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CREW TO OBSERVE HIM FROM THE FLIGHT DECK. IT HAD BEEN ARRANGED THAT THE CAPTAIN WOULD SQUAWK CODE 7700 ON HIS TRANSPONDER AND FLASH HIS LANDING LIGHTS FOR 30 SECONDS IF THE HIJACKER WAS OBSERVED EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. MILITARY ESCORT AIRCRAFT WERE PROVIDED AND ALSO INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK IF THEY OBSERVED A PARACHUTIST EXITING THE AIRCRAFT.

---

164-91-[illegible]

b6 per FBI and FAA b7C per FBI and FAA DB Cooper-67

PAGE 2

BETWEEN SEATTLE AND PORTLAND, THE CREW COMMUNICATED WITH THE HIJACKER VIA THE PA SYSTEM AND INTERPHONE. HOWEVER, THE HIJACKER DID NOT RESPOND AFTER PORTLAND. APPROACHING PORTLAND A LIGHT ON THE CAPTAIN'S PANEL LIT UP INDICATING THAT THE REAR EXIT STEPS WERE LOWERED AND LOCKED; HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT REPORTED TO FLIGHT CONTROLLERS. REPEATED REQUESTS BY FAA TO THE COMPANY TO HAVE THE CREW VERIFY THE HIJACKER'S CONTINUED PRESENCE ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOT HONORED BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE DANGER TO THE CREW. NW 305 LANDED AT RENO AT 2302L. THE HIJACKER WAS NOT ON BOARD. THE ONLY ITEMS LEFT BEHIND WERE ONE SET OF CHUTES (1 CHEST AND 1 BACK PACK). FAA COMMENT: D.B. COOPER MET THE PROFILE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO PASSENGER PRE-BOARD SCREENING IN EFFECT BY NW AT PORTLAND. AS FAR AS PARACHUTISTS ARE CONCERNED, WE CERTAINLY URGE HOLD STORAGE OF SPORT PARACHUTES AND YOUR CABIN ATTENDANTS SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT TO CHALLENGE PASSENGERS WITH UNUSUALLY WRAPPED PACKAGES WHICH MIGHT CONTAIN A PARACHUTE. I THINK IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF A PARACHUTIST BE MONITORED IN FLIGHT SINCE HOW ELSE CAN YOU BE CERTAIN THAT A LIVE BOMB HAS NOT BEEN LEFT BEHIND AND SET TO DETONATE. TO FLY FOR HOURS AFTER THE EXTORTIONIST HAS LEFT THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE SUICIDAL. FURTHER, SUCH ACTION COULD HAVE ASSISTED IN THE EARLY APPREHENSION OF THE CRIMINAL THUS CURBING SOME OF THE ADVERSE PUBLICITY RESULTING FROM HIS ESCAPE. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THERE WILL BE A SIMILAR ATTEMPT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. MURPHY, SE-1.

---

b6 per FAA b7C per FAA

---

SAN-ATSFO 10 DECEMBER 1971

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

---

DB Cooper-68