SAC Charlotte to SAC Seattle re interview of Fred R. Butner, New River Valley Sport Parachute Center

1/14/76

AIRTEL

[redacted box, b6/b7c]

TO: SAC, SEATTLE (164-81)

FROM: SAC, CHARLOTTE (164-101) (P)

SUBJECT: NORJAK

(OO: SEATTLE) BUFILE: 164-2111

[handwritten, partially legible: 164-81-1a 532]

---

Enclosed for Richmond and Seattle are two copies each of photograph depicting a side view of [redacted] and a partial front view of [redacted], the individual with the v-neck t-shirt.

On 1/13/76, FRED R. BUTNER, 1303 Carroll Street, Durham, N.C., telephone 489-0359, a third-year law student at the Duke University School of Law, Durham, N.C., and a potential SA applicant, advised that he has been active in sport parachuting, primarily jumping at the Franklin County Sport Parachute Center, Louisburg, N.C. On the afternoon of 10/25/75, he had occasion to be in the vicinity of the New River Valley Sport Parachute Center, located at the New River Valley Airport near Dublin, Virginia. This visit was caused by him being in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, and he desired to see what kind of operation involving sport parachuting existed at the airport. He has not been back to the New River Valley Airport or the Sport Parachute Center, located at the airport, since 10/25/75.

On the afternoon of 10/25/75, he went to the Sport Parachute Center at the New River Valley Airport and found that the Manifest and Radio Operations were being operated by a white female, 5'10" tall, slender build, medium long brown hair, whose age was probably between [redacted] and whose first name was [redacted]. She was busy with activities involving jumps which were being made, but between her duties, she and her partner engaged in conversation. During a break in her

---

2 - Seattle (Enc. 2) 2 - Richmond (164-74) (Enc. 2) 2 - Charlotte PSS:sbh (6)

[stamp:] SEARCHED..........INDEXED.......... SERIALIZED..........FILED.......... JAN 17 1976 FBI - SEATTLE

DB COOPER-54897

[illegible - no discernible text]

---

1/14/76

AIRTEL

CE 164-101

---

work at approximately 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., they discussed a t-shirt which was being worn by another jumper, which bore an inscription concerning "D.B. COOPER." He did not recall the specific connotation involving the t-shirt, nor did he recall who was wearing the t-shirt. They continued their conversation and he learned from [redacted] that she did not know the amount of ransom involved in the incident, but she did comment that COOPER had not been apprehended, and that the airlines had made certain physical changes in aircraft to prevent a re-occurrence. She commented that COOPER had gone out the back of the aircraft, and that he was a good jumper and knew what he was doing. She further commented that the incident was "planned out".

She then stated, "He lives within [redacted] miles of here and jumps with some of the relative workers here."

BUTNER explained that a relative worker is a free falling parachutist who jumps in formations in relation to other free falling parachutists.

BUTNER replied to [redacted] something to the effect that he wondered why no loose-lipped jumper had exposed COOPER's cover. [redacted] replied, "Relative workers are a really close group."

At approximately this time in the conversation, she was called to operate the radio in connection with jumps which were going on, and the conversation did not return to COOPER.

Somewhere in his conversation with either [redacted] or someone else who may have joined the conversation briefly, someone said something to the effect, "COOPER is just sitting on the money."

BUTNER did not know the identity of any of the relative workers at the New River Valley Airport, but did identify [redacted] as some type of instructor with the parachute club.

---

2

DB COOPER-54898

1/14/76

AIRTEL

CE 164-101

---

BUTNER was asked if he had any personal idea who the individual known as "D.B. COOPER" might be and he stated that the only individual who acted in any kind of peculiar manner was an individual by the name of [redacted] who reportedly [redacted] at Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, N.C.

[redacted] appears to be somewhat older than the [redacted] and he is involved in teaching and jumping at the Center at the New River Valley Airport. He recalled that [redacted] did not appear to comment at all about his background and BUTNER learned that [redacted] intended to take a job where he could [redacted]. He thought that this was a slightly unusual approach for [redacted] to take, and he thought that the coolness of [redacted] was also unusual as there is generally excellent raport [sic] between the students from Wake Forest University [redacted] and the Duke University [redacted] He described [redacted] as follows:

---

Race White Sex Male Height Approximately 5'8 or 9" Age [blank/redacted] Build Average Hair Brown, balding in front Hair in rear extending over collar

---

BUTNER made available the only photograph that he had, which was taken on his visit to the New River Valley Airport, which shows [redacted] and the individual who he knew as [redacted].

He identified [redacted] as being the female on the left side of the photograph with her right hand to her head, and he identified [redacted] as being the individual in the right center of the photograph who can be observed from the right front and who was wearing a v-neck t-shirt.

---

3

DB COOPER-54899

1/14/76

AIRTEL

CE 164-101

According to BUTNER, he has not returned to this facility and has not heard any additional information concerning COOPER.

LEADS:

RICHMOND:

AT RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Will review captioned matter and thereafter conduct appropriate investigation at the New River Valley Airport, New River Valley Sport Parachute Center, Dublin, Virginia, to include interview of all pertinent and appropriate persons, particularly the individual identified as [redacted] [b6/b7C]

CHARLOTTE:

AT WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Will conduct appropriate background investigation concerning [redacted] reported to be [redacted], Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, N.C., in an effort to determine if [redacted] may possibly be identical with the subject of this matter.

---

ARMED AND DANGEROUS [partially legible, faded/overlapping stamp text]

---

4

DB COOPER-54900