Re Richard Floyd McCoy, Jr., crime aboard aircraft - hijacking, Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City May 23, 1973

---

Sub 386

---

RICHARD FLOYD MC COY, JR. CRIME ABOARD AIRCRAFT -- HIJACKING; INTERFERENCE WITH FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS

---

Synopsis: On April 7, 1972, an individual boarded United Air Lines (UAL) Flight 855, a Boeing 727 from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California, at Denver, Colorado. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes after take off, the individual was observed to be holding a hand grenade and a gun. The stewardess delivered messages of instruction to the pilot. Instructions included diverting airplane to San Francisco, California, where UAL was suppose to have $500,000 in cash and four parachutes available. Instruction envelope contained one hand grenade pin and a bullet. Aircraft landed at San Francisco where the hijacker's demands were met. All passengers and part of crew were permitted to deplane. The pilot was then ordered to take off immediately. The pilot felt a slight surge of the airplane in the vicinity of the Provo, Utah, Airport and thought the hijacker must have jumped out. Information was received that a possible suspect in the case might be Richard Floyd Mc Coy, Jr. Mc Coy was positively identified as the hijacker through handwriting comparisons and fingerprints located on UAL "Mainliner Magazine" found in seat occupied by hijacker. Mc Coy was arrested on April 9, 1972, after being charged in a complaint with violation of Section 1472(i)(1), Title 49, U. S. Code, Aircraft Piracy, and Section 1472(j), Title 49, U. S. Code, Interfering With Flight Attendant. On July 10, 1972, Mc Coy appeared in U. S. District Court and was sentenced to a period of 45 years in the custody of the Attorney General.

---

164. 72 13 ENCLOSURE SEARCHED ___INDEXED___ SERIALIZED___FILED___ JUL 25 1980

---

b6 b7C

---

DB Cooper-18436

Salt Lake City May 23, 1973

---

RICHARD FLOYD MC COY, JR. CRIME ABOARD AIRCRAFT - HIJACKING; INTERFERENCE WITH FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS

---

On April 7, 1972, United Air Lines Flight 855, a Boeing 727 en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California, via Denver, Colorado, had just completed a routine stop at Denver and was once again in flight.

Approximately 20 minutes after take off, an unidentified man was observed to be holding a hand grenade and a gun. He sent the grenade pin and a bullet to the pilot with instructions that the plane be diverted to San Francisco, California. The stewardess was the messenger, and on numerous occasions instructions were sent from the hijacker to the pilot.

The pilot was instructed to land at the San Francisco International Airport and to park at Runway 19-Left, along with specific instructions as to refueling the aircraft and distance that all vehicles should be kept from the aircraft. The instructions also demanded $500,000 and four parachutes and that all notes be returned to the hijacker.

After considering the safety of the passengers, crew and airplane, United Air Lines decided to meet the hijacker's demands. Two flight bags were filled with cash and were delivered to the hijacker, along with the parachutes he had demanded.

---

DB Cooper-18437

After the hijacker had determined the money and other items had been properly prepared, he permitted the passengers and part of the crew to deplane.

The pilot was then instructed to taxi to the active runway and take off. They were to head east and climb to 14,000 feet. The cabin was to be depressurized and the pilot was to fly to predesignated locations. The instructions from the hijacker began to take on the appearance of flight plans and they were delivered with increasing frequency, still using the stewardess as the messenger.

The hijacker covered the peephole from the cockpit into the cabin and then began to change clothes into a jump- suit, helmet, boots and parachute, which he did with the ease that comes with long hours of practice. Following these preparations, instructions were given that he be kept advised as to ground speed, flight speeds, wind speeds, altimeter settings and sky conditions. His last instructions were to go to Fairfield, Utah, Price and Grand Junction, after that he was not seen again. The pilot felt a slight surge of the airplane in the vicinity of the Provo, Utah, Airport, and thought the hijacker had jumped, so he sent the stewardess into the passenger compartment to verify his departure.

---

- 2 -

---

DB Cooper-18438

After [illegible] After having determined the hijacker had actually left the airplane, the pilot then returned to the Salt Lake City International Airport, where the airplane was examined and searched for evidence. The evidence located contained some items that would later be very important in the positive identification of the hijacker. Included in the evidence was a copy of United Air Lines "Mainliner Magazine", which was located in the seat occupied by the hijacker, and also found was a hand printed note from the hijacker which read as follows: "Everybody off now except the stewardesses. They stay put. Get the hell off the GD [guess: plane]. Be quick about it --. use this runway." [illegible line - partially overtyped or degraded] [illegible] The above items, along with all of the items of evidence, were submitted to the FBI Laboratory in Washington, D.[illegible]C., for examination [illegible line] [illegible] A search of the vicinity of the Provo, Utah, Airport was instituted because it was felt the hijacker had bailed out in that area. It was there that the only casualty of the [guess: case] occurred. [illegible partial line] [illegible] It was approximately 2:00 a.m. on April 8, 1972, and Special Agents of the FBI, working together with Provo City Police, Utah County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff's Possee lined up approximately 20 to 30 yards apart and began combing

---

- 3 -

---

DB Cooper-18439

the area. The airport area was badly overgrown with weeds and made a perfect hiding place for pheasants and other small animals. One of the FBI Agents, after having had several pheasants fly up from under his feet, heard the brush in front of him rustling. He turned his flashlight on just in time to see the back end of a skunk. The skunk, being a good shot, made a direct hit, putting the Agent out of commission.

After an all night search, neither the hijacker, his parachute nor the extortion money had been located. It was then that a telephone call came into the Salt Lake City Office of the FBI. The caller advised he had an acquaintance who on several occasions had talked of the perfect plan for hijacking an airplane. This caller advised that his friend was Richard Floyd Mc Coy, Jr., who was a Vietnam veteran, a helicopter pilot and an avid sky diver. Mc Coy was reportedly a member of the Utah Air National Guard and a student at the Brigham Young University, where he was studying police science. Coincidentally, the "erfect hijacking plan" discussed by Mc Coy was almost identical to the plan implemented by the hijacker in this instance.

Following the suggestion of the name Richard Floyd Mc Coy, Jr., as a suspect in this matter, the St. Louis Division of the FBI was telephonically contacted and was requested to

cause an immediate search of any Army records under Mc Coy's name in an effort to locate any hand printing and handwriting of Mc Coy. This was done and the writing samples were forwarded to the FBI Laboratory in Washington, D. C.

At this point, it was felt an interview of Mc Coy might prove beneficial. Mc Coy was located and interviewed at the Army Operations Center at the Salt Lake City Airport and during the interview he denied any participation in or knowledge of the hijacking. He did, however, furnish the interviewing Agents with a sample of his hand printing. The message- "Everybody off now except the stewardesses. They stay put. Get the hell off the GD. Be quick about it -- use this runway" was dictated to him and he printed it. This message was sent to the FBI Laboratory in Washington for comparison with the message found on the airplane. Mc Coy continued to claim innocence as was released.

Meanwhile, the Laboratory in Washington had been busy with the evidence they had already received. An expert in handwriting had compared the note found on the airplane with Mc Coy's known writing samples which had been obtained from military service records. It was determined that Mc Coy had written the note. Fingerprint experts had compared latent prints with Mc Coy's fingerprints and it was determined that a print on the "Mainliner Magazine" in the seat occupied by the hijacker was made by Mc Coy.

---

DB Cooper-18441

On April 9, 1972, a complaint was filed charging Richard Floyd Mc Coy, Jr. with violation of Section 1472(i)(1), Title 49, United States Code, Aircraft Piracy, and Section 1472(j), Title 49, United States Code, Interference With Flight Attendant.

Mc Coy was arrested on April 9, 1972, but he refused to discuss the hijacking. Following his arrest, a search warrant was issued and his house was searched. The following are some of the items found during the search:

1. One parachute, blue and white with red trim.

2. One black helmet, crash type, with white strap snap on back.

3. One large cardboard box containing various items of clothing, a pistol, holster and a black glove.

4. A military pineapple-type grenade, green and yellow in color, with the pin and spoon removed.

5. United States currency totaling $499,970.

On July 10, 1972, Richard Floyd Mc Coy, Jr. appeared in United States District Court and was sentenced to a period of 45 years in the custody of the Attorney General.

---

- 6* -

---

DB Cooper-18442