Mobster Times article 'Skyjacking: The Plane Story of D.B. Cooper' / 'The Saga of D.B. Cooper'
Document date June 1972
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Id: Cooper-Part-53:039-042
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-53:039-042 Document: Mobster Times article 'Skyjacking: The Plane Story of D.B. Cooper' / 'The Saga of D.B. Cooper' Id: Cooper-Part-53:039-042 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-53%3A039-042 What is wrong (title, date, type, which pages belong together, copies)? What does the scan show?
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FBI 164-81, Vault Part 53 pp. 39–42 (DB Cooper-2, DB Cooper-22377, DB Cooper-22378, DB Cooper-22380), News clipping, dated Jun 1972 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-53%3A039-042
CRIMP OF THE MONTH
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SKYJACKING: THE PLANE STORY OF D.B. COOPER
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It's the crime with the "young look." Everyone hates the airlines. Everyone loves a hijacker. If the thought of being considered anti-social has kept you from a life of crime, consider the crime with the wings on!
Before 1960 there were only 33 air- craft hijackings. In the last ten years there have been 150. More than half of these have been in the U.S. Clearly air- line hijacking is as American as apple pie.
The beginnings of this new amateur sport were Cuban but anti-, not pro- Castro. After the revolution, thousands of Cubans, unhappy with the new gov- ernment, finding exit visas scarce, began hijacking Cuban planes, forcing the pi- lots to fly to Miami. During the first such flight, the crew of an entire Cuba- na airliner asking for asylum came as sweet news to Uncle Sam. The plane was not returned. Castro asked but Washington did not answer. In October of 1960, it happened again: This time the Cuban pilot wasn't a part of the rip- off and as a result, he was wounded, a guard was killed, and the plane limped into Key West, Florida. The gunmen were hailed as Freedom Fighters.
Then on July 24, 1961, the worm turned.
An American plane, an Eastern Air- lines Electra with 38 passengers on board, was forced to fly to Cuba. The U.S. Air Force was notified of the ac- tion when the plane was en route. They sent up a F-102 which flew helplessly alongside the Electra till the plane neared Cuba. It had only been 3 months since the Bay of Pigs. America wasn't looking for more trouble.
The Electra made a safe landing. The passengers and crew—only 3 months after a Bay of Pigs invasion—were sent back to Miami.
Not the Electra. Why should it be sent back? Uncle Sam had kept the last 6 Cuban ships. Was a new Age of Adven- ture about to begin? Would we have pi- rate-ship battles in mid-air? Errol Flynns in airtight cabins, battling it out in the stratosphere with Olivia de Havillands in space suits?
Alas, no. Law and Order rules the world. Castro, the Arab countries, America are all members of the same world airplane organizations. They in- sure each other against losses. How can
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The new American hero, right up there with Jesse James and Sergeant York: super- skyjacker D.B. Cooper, complete with wig and putty makeup.
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there be a war when each side has to pay the other for losses? When Israel destroyed several planes in Lebanon it was among the countries which had to pay the fee to the central insurance fund for their replacement.
But if the nations of this world do not love hijackers, the people do. The hijackers caught the front pages and soon the race was on. It was so easy! All you had to do was hold up an object, declare to the stewardess it was a gun or a bomb, and tell them where you want- ed to go.
Romance! The sky, the night, the ex- citement, the fainting pregnant women, the FBI clumsily disguised as repairmen surrounding the plane when it stopped to refuel. Many flocked to the new Thing: the patriotic, the young, the ro- mantic, the demented. Cuba, a false em- blem of Freedom, was the favorite tar- get. The reality was harsh. The hijackers were treated with suspicion. Several re- turned home.
There were metal-detecting devices put around the airlines, but these have proven ineffectual. Everyone has metal somewhere on them, and lots of bombs are non-metallic.
The game was good. The question was—the goal: One hijacker, Raphael Minichiello, a Vietnam vet, took his cap- tive airplane to Italy and was greeted
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'M ALIVE AND doing well in HoMe town P.I.D. The system that beats the system.
D B cooper
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DB Cooper-22377
NORTHWEST
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PAGE 14/MOBSTER TIMES
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World Wide Photos
CRIME OF THE MONTH SKYJACK: THE PLANE STORY OF D.B. COOPER
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It's the crime with the Everyone hates the airli[ne] loves a hijacker. If the th[eft is] considered anti-social has a life of crime, consider the wings on!
Before 1960 there we[re no air-] craft hijackings. In the [next decade] there have been 150. Mo[st of] these have been in the U[S] [and most] of line hijacking is as Ame[rican as] [apple] pie.
The beginnings of thi[s] sport were Cuban but [it started as] Castro. After the revolut[ion] of Cubans, unhappy wit[h the] ernment, finding exit visa[s] [new] gov- [ernment], began hijacking Cuban planes, lots to fly to Miami. D[uring] the pi- such flight, the crew of a[n] [the first] na airliner asking for as[ylum] [tire] Cuba- sweet news to Uncle S[am] [and it] came as was not returned. Cast[ro] The plane Washington did not answ[er] asked but of 1960, it happened ag[ain]. In October the Cuban pilot wasn't a [fool]. This time off and as a result, he w[as shot] [the tip-] guard was killed, and th[e] wounded, a into Key West, Florida[.] plane limped were hailed as Freedom F[light]. The gunmen [were hailed].
Then on July 24, 1[961], the worm turned.
An American plane, a[n] lines Electra with 38 Eastern Air- board, was forced to fly [passengers] on U.S. Air Force noti[fied] to Cuba. The tion when the plane was [notified] of the ac- sent up a F-102 which [flew the] route. They alongside the Electra [and] helplessly neared Cuba. It had only [watched] the plane since the Bay of Pigs [been] 3 months looking for more trouble[.] [America] wasn't
The Electra made a sa[fe] landing. The passengers and crew--o[nly] 3 months after a Bay of Pigs inva[sion]--were sent back to Miami.
Not the Electra. Wh[y] sent back? Uncle Sam ha[d] should it be kept the last [age] of Adven- [ture and] we have pi- Errol Flynns it out in the Havillands in
[un]der rules the [ar]ab countries, of the same [regulati]ons. They in- [lo]sses. How can
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The new American hero, right up there with Jesse James and Sergeant York: super- skyjacker D.B. Cooper, complete with wig and putty makeup.
---
there be a war when each side has to pay the other for losses? When Israel destroyed several planes in Lebanon it was among the countries which had to pay the fee to the central insurance fund for their replacement.
But if the nations of this world do not love hijackers, the people do. The hijackers caught the front pages and soon the race was on. It was so easy! All you had to do was hold up an object, declare to the stewardess it was a gun or a bomb, and tell them where you want- ed to go.
Romance! The sky, the night, the ex- citement, the fainting pregnant women, the FBI clumsily disguised as repairmen surrounding the plane when it stopped to refuel. Many flocked to the new Thing: the patriotic, the young, the ro- mantic, the demented. Cuba, a false em- blem of Freedom, was the favorite tar- get. The reality was harsh. The hijackers were treated with suspicion. Several re- turned home.
There were metal-detecting devices put around the airlines, but these have proven ineffectual. Everyone has metal somewhere on them, and lots of bombs are non-metallic.
The game was good. The question was--the goal: One hijacker, Raphael Minichiello, a Vietnam vet, took his cap- tive airplane to Italy and was greeted
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[I'M] ALIVE AND doing well in
HoMe toWn R.I.D. The system that beats the system.
D.B. cooper
Editor - Oregonian 1320 S.[W.] Broad[way] [97201]
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DB Cooper-22378 NORTHWEST
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World Wide Photos
warmly by the Italian people. The gov- ernment was forced to give him a light jail sentence. (America, angry, was de- manding extradition but the Italian authorities, knowing of the death sen- tence Congress had imposed for hijack- ers, wouldn't allow it.) Minichiello, now out of jail, has been photographed hap- pily waiting on tables in Rome (presum- ably not at the airport). But where to go if you're not Italian? You can always just disappear.
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THE SAGA OF D.B. COOPER
That's what the last, most efficient hijacker, "D.B. Cooper," did.
D.B., the first (but probably not the last) of a new breed of Disappearing Hi- jackers, got on a Northwest flight in Portland, Oregon. Later, a passenger who was sitting across from him noted that he was "quite relaxed." It was the night of November 24th. The plane, a Boeing 727, was on the last leg of its flight. It had been in Minneapolis and Montana and was due to go from Port- land to Spokane.
D.B., our hero, showed the stewardess a briefcase containing two red cylinders and wires. He told her he would blow up the aircraft unless he got $200,000 and four parachutes.
The plane stopped at Seattle. It was refueled and the passengers disem- barked. The $200,000 was rounded up along with two military-model para- chutes.
He refused to take them. He wanted sporting models. The difference? The sporting models were opened manually. The military models opened automatic- ally after 200 feet of fall. If you wanted
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NOV. 29 - DE[C] 1971 MON - CONGRATULATIONS! D.B. COOPER! TUE WED - DAD'S CLUB THURS - POPS CONCERT FRIDAY BB [STARTS] GRANT VS SAT - BASKETBALL WRESTLING TOURNE[Y] EXECUTIVE
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While the F.B.I. scrabbles for clues, America canonizes its new patron saint of system-fucking: D.B. Cooper, where are you?
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DB Cooper 2[2]3[7]9
[illegible] people. The gov[ernment] [g]ive him a light angry, was de- [scrip]t the Italian the death sen- [ten]sed for hijack- inichiello, now [phot]ographed hap- [illegible]ome presum- [ably]
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But where to go if you're not Italian? You can always just disappear.
THE SAGA OF D.B. COOPER
That's what the last, most efficient hijacker, "D.B. Cooper," did.
D.B., the first (but probably not the last) of a new breed of Disappearing Hi- jackers, got on a Northwest flight in Portland, Oregon. Later, a passenger who was sitting across from him noted that he was "quite relaxed." It was the night of November 24th. The plane, a Boeing 727, was on the last leg of its flight. It had been in Minneapolis and Montana and was due to go from Port- land to Spokane.
D.B., our hero, showed the stewardess a briefcase containing two red cylinders and wires. He told her he would blow up the aircraft unless he got $200,000 and four parachutes.
The plane stopped at Seattle. It was refueled and the passengers disem- barked. The $200,000 was rounded up along with two military-model para- chutes.
He refused to take them. He wanted sporting models. The difference? The sporting models were opened manually. The military models opened automatic- ally after 200 feet of fall. If you wanted
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NOV. 29 — DE 1971
CONGRATULATIONS! D.B. COOPER
MON. TUE. DAD'S CLUB WED. THURS. POPS CONCERT FRIDAY BB STARTS GRANT[illegible] SAT. BASKETBALL WRESTLING TOURNE[Y]
EXECUTIVE
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While the F.B.I. scrabbles for clues, America canonizes its new patron saint of system-fucking: D.B. Cooper, where are you?
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to fall free in the night air, not be a white moving target, floating and visi- ble, you needed a sporting parachute.
He got two.
He instructed the plane to take off. He knew the parachutes would be good. He had a stewardess beside him. They knew he could take her with him when he jumped.
He had chosen a 727 because the 727 is the only kind of commercial jet from which it is safe to parachute. He had told them to go to Mexico but they asked them to to go Mexico but they permit it so he instructed them to go to Reno. He told them the plane was to keep below 10,000 feet and that the rear exit was to be left open.
When the plane took off he locked the crew in the cockpit. He had the en- tire cabin to himself.
When the plane landed in Reno, D.B. was gone. So were the two parachutes. So was the briefcase with the possible explosives.
So was $200,000.
The good people of Seattle did not organize a posse as they had years ago for a horsethief. He who steals a horse is a villain. He who steals a car is a thief. But he who steals a plane and $200,000 and leaps out into the night sky is a hero.
The New York Times noted on De- cember 19th, in a story sent from Seat- tle, that the name D.B. Cooper is ad- vancing in notoriety on the names Jesse James and Black Bart.
Allen King of the Alpine Silk Screen Products of Portland, brought out D.B. COOPER WHERE ARE YOU? T-shirts and quickly sold 3,000 of them, sending them to far-flung admirers in Houston, Los Angeles and New York.
A letter signed D.B. Cooper was sent to The New York Times, The Washing- ton Post and The Los Angeles Times. It read:
SIRS:
I knew from the start that I wouldn't be caught.
I didn't rob Northwest Orient be- cause I thought it would be roman- tic, heroic or any of the other euphe- misms that seem to attach themselves to situations of high risk.
I'm no modern day Robin Hood. Unfortunately I have only 14 months to live.
My life has been one of hate, tur- moil, hunger and more hate, this seemed to be the fastest and most profitable way to gain a few fast grains of [guess: peace] of mind.
He informed the authorities that he would be hard to spot. He told them:
"I [left] no [fingerprints] [guess: I wore] a toupee. I wore putty makeup."
The FBI is studying the letter careful- ly. It seems they have a lot to learn. Maybe they should wear toupees an[d] putty makeup.
Meanwhile in Seattle, a bowling al[ley] has advertised a D.B. Cooper bowl[ing] sweepstakes.
With ca[se] [guess: number] Cooper-22380
Serials: 22379