Handwritten letter to Superintendent of Stewardesses, Northwest Orient, re suspicious passenger on Flight 45
Document date 7 December 1971
Also filed at: Part 104 pp. 148–150
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-17:055-057
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-17:055-057 Document: Handwritten letter to Superintendent of Stewardesses, Northwest Orient, re suspicious passenger on Flight 45 Id: Cooper-Part-17:055-057 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-17%3A055-057 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 17 pp. 55–57 (DB Cooper-4881, DB Cooper-4883), Letter, dated 7 Dec 1971, serial 169-81-1428 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-17%3A055-057
Dec 7, 1971
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Supt. of Stewardesses, Northwest Orient. Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Wn
Could you establish who was the stewardess for the rear section (a blonde) for flight 45 - Minn to Seattle, Monday, Sept 13, and see if she can recollect - or recognize persons mentioned, or have seating arrangements with names and destinations?
I believe - ganny as it sounds - that there were persons aboard who could throw light on your recent highjacking!
I sat [in] seat
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At Miles City, the stewardess stuck a Seattle pin in the seat next to mine. Since a passenger got off at Miles City this man sat in the aisle seat. About 5'10", well built, over 30.
Between Great Falls and Missoula, this man told me he had flown a 727 for the "military" dropping "personnel and supplies" in places otherwise inaccessible. He said "we had all jumped in training" and "it was a hell of a thrill".
I said: Thailand. He grinned and said, someplace like that. (C.T.A. trains in Taiwan) He said he had not been able to get a job as a pilot commercially on a 727 because he didn't have enough flying hours.
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169-81 - 1428 SEARCHED _____ INDEXED SERIALIZED ___ FILED ___ mo BEC 1 0 1971 SEATTLE DB Cooper-4881
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b6 b7C
Stewardess - 2 Dec 7, 1971
Boeing tells me there are no 727's in the military inventory. That there are no flight training manuals on flap and speed for "personnel" drops. And that the listings of the C.I.A (Central Intelligence Agency) and its two private firms are classified information and they do not have it.
But this man said he had piloted for jumping – and jumped. Do your loading sheets show he was sold a ticket at Melo City, to Seattle – Sept 13, or on a return? Does it show a name? This name might be checked for a pilots licence.
2. The real hawler.
When I saw the sketch of the he-jacker, I really did a double-take, but it took a bit to know why. This "pilot" got off the plane at Sandpoint, Idaho. He got back on with 4 (four) persons all dressed identically, in black outfits and the same goggles as the sketch. It caused a few comments aboard. The jackets were all shiny black plastic or leather and to the knees. Two of the men sat in the back row, across the aisle. The "pilot" told the other two to come forward with hem, and he would "arrange" so they could set together. If the "pilot" was 5'10", the man who followed him was 6'1" or 6'-2". And thin – at least the coat was not full. The second man was about 6'.
After the plane took off, the stewardess came back and took the Seattle pin off the seat next to mine.
[guess: Re] Stewardess - 3 Dec 7, 1971
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I believe the men had gone into the forward section of the plane. Does the stewardess remember getting them seated together?
What military installation is at Sandpoint, Idaho? Paratroopers?
A man who piloted a 727 to drop personnel, talking to any paratroopers as casually as he did me, could pass on information how to fly a drop.
The F.B.I. has no casual access to C.I.A. personnel files. If I had a name, I could get verification just as easily through Senator Jackson as they could. In fact, they probably wouldn't even ask the national security council to clear them to ask - unless all through that territory the man has told the same story.
Curiosity killed the cat, who had nine lives. I have lost enough of mine through curiosity, I should know enough not to ask. But I am.
Sincerel[y]
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[REDACTED - signature/name block obscured]
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b6 b7C
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DB Cooper-4883
Serials: 169-81-1428