Letterhead memorandum summarizing hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 and description of Dan Cooper
Document date 7 December 1971
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Id: Cooper-Part-15:234-238
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-15:234-238 Document: Letterhead memorandum summarizing hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 and description of Dan Cooper Id: Cooper-Part-15:234-238 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-15%3A234-238 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 15 pp. 234–238 (DB Cooper-4094–4098), Report, dated 7 Dec 1971, serial SE 164-81-1042 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-15%3A234-238
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Seattle, Washington December 7, 1971
In Reply, Please Refer to File No. 164-81
Re: UNKNOWN SUBJECT, aka Dan Cooper; NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT #305, PORTLAND TO SEATTLE, 11/24/71 CRIME ABOARD AIRCRAFT - HIJACKING; EXTORTION
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On November 24, 1971, an unknown man using the name Dan Cooper, boarded Northwest Airlines Flight #305, at Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, enroute Seattle, Washington.
As the plane was taxiing down the runway, Stewardess [REDACTED] occupied the seat reserved for the stewardesses on the right side of the plane and behind the last row of passenger seats. The unknown subject, who occupied the center seat in the last row of three seats, turned and handed her an envelope which she did not open for a few minutes until he glanced at her several times. She then opened the envelope and read the enclosed note which said: "Miss - I have a bomb here and I would like you to sit by me." At this point Stewardess [REDACTED] came toward the rear of the plane and [REDACTED] handed [REDACTED] the note. [REDACTED] then called the pilot on the intercom.
[REDACTED] on the flight, later advised that according to notes he made during the incident, the emergency signal from Stewardess [REDACTED] was received on the intercom at 3:59 PM.
Stewardess [REDACTED] then sat next to the hijacker who opened a black attache case and showed her what he said was a bomb. She described the contents of the attache case as a bundle of red sticks, which she believed was dynamite. The bundle consisted of six or eight red colored sticks approximately six to eight inches long with no writing on the outside. The hijacker was holding in his hand a wire which led to the bundle of sticks and indicated that he could detonate the bomb by touching the wire to a contact. Also in the attache case was a cylindrical shaped battery about eight inches long.
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8 - Bureau 3 - Seattle CEF:klb (11) DB Cooper-4094 164-81-1042
Re: UNKNOWN SUBJECT, aka Dan Cooper
At first the hijacker asked for $200,000 and two parachutes.
A[REDACTED] left her stewardess seat and gave the note to [REDACTED] sat beside the hijacker who, after showing the contents of the attache case, told her to "take this down." From her purse she obtained a pen and note pad and he dictated the following message:
"I want $200,000 by 5:00 PM in cash. Put it in a knapsack. I want two back parachutes and two front parachutes. When we land, I want a fuel truck ready to refuel. No funny stuff, or I'll do the job."
At the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in answer to his demands, the hijacker was provided with the four parachutes and $200,000 in 20 dollar bills in a canvas bank bag. When the plane landed at Seattle at 5:45 PM (PST) he instructed Stewardess [REDACTED] to go after the money which she did. He opened the bag; inspected the money and then told them that the passengers as well as the two other stewardesses could leave the plane. They did deplane. The remaining crew members were the three male members of the flight crew as well as Stewardess [REDACTED]
[REDACTED] then made several trips out of the plane to obtain the parachutes which she brought to the subject.
[REDACTED] said she then asked the hijacker what his instructions were regarding the destination of the flight. Up to that point he had refused to tell her except to say that they were not going to Havanna. She then obtained a piece of paper and the hijacker gave her the following instructions:
"Going to Mexico City - or any place in Mexico - non-stop - gear down - flaps down - don't go over 10,000 feet altitude - all cabin lights out - do not again land in the States for fuel or anyother reason - no one behind the first class section."
It is noted that the plane involved was a Boeing 727, a tri-jet with stairs under the rear of the aircraft which are lowered for enplaning and deplaning passengers.
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DB Cooper-4095
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b6 b7C
Re: UNKNOWN SUBJECT, aka Dan Cooper
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At first the hijacker wanted the plane to take off with the stairs down but after he was advised this would be impossible, he agreed to having the steps raised with the comment that they could be lowered after they became airborne.
It was further agreed that the plane could be flown to Portland, Oregon, south to Red Bluff, California and then east to Reno, Nevada, where it would stop for refueling.
The plane departed Sea-Tac with the three crew members in the cabin and [REDACTED] in the rear with the hijacker. Within minutes after take off at 7:36 PM, the hijacker had the stewardess show him how to lower the steps and he then ordered her to go to the first class section which she did, and she then continued on to the cabin.
At 8:05 PM the captain was in touch with the hijacker by the intercom. This was the last communication he had with the hijacker. Just prior to this communication, the captain had a signal indicating that the stairs had been lowered. At 8:12 PM, the captain experienced "oscillation" in the plane and thought perhaps the hijacker had departed the plane.
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Air Force fighter planes were escorting the craft but because the 727 was flying at 170 knots, the fighter jets were too fast. Further, the weather was overcast and visibility extremely low.
When the plane arrived at Reno, the hijacker was gone and two of the parachutes were still in the airplane. The attache case also was not in the plane and has not been found.
Extensive search of the southwestern part of Washington State, which was indicated by the 8:12 PM "oscillation" experienced by the crew, was conducted through the aid of fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, automobiles and on foot. Results to date have been negative.
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Aerial searches have been and are being made of the flight path to Reno, Nevada, with negative results.
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- 3 - DB Cooper-4096
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b6 b7C
Re: UNKNOWN SUBJECT, aka Dan Cooper
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An artist's conception was prepared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation based on personal interviews with the three stewardesses who had been on Flight #305 as well as on the basis of information furnished by passengers who had viewed the hijacker.
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Extensive publication has been made of the artist's conception as well as the basic information concerning the hijacking. In addition, a booklet listing the serial numbers of the 10,000 twenty dollar bills which made up the ransom, has been published and widely disseminated.
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The names of numerous look-alikes have been offered as suspects and extensive investigation through out the country is presently being conducted to identify the hijacker.
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The following is a composite description based on the information furnished by all witnesses:
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Race: White Sex: Male Age: Mid 40s Height: 5'10" to 6' Weight: 170 to 180 lbs. Build: Average to well built Complexion: Olive, Latin appearance, 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 sun- glasses 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 or brown suit; White shirt; Narrow black tie;
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DB.Cooper-4097
Re: UNKNOWN SUBJECT, aka Dan Cooper
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Wearing Apparel: Black rain-type overcoat (continued) or dark top coat; dark briefcase or attache case; carried paper bag 4"x12"x14"; Brown shoes
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- 5 - DB Cooper-4098
Serials: SE 164-81, SE 164-81-1042