Philadelphia to Director, Minneapolis and Seattle re stewardess reinterview on hijacker's actions and aft stairs
This copy: Part 65 pp. 68–71Also filed at Part 66 pp. 67–70 (primary) · Part 67 pp. 158–160
This copy’s own title
Philadelphia to Director, Minneapolis and Seattle re aircraft access panels and witness account
Document date 3 December 1971
Another copy of this document is the primary, most legible copy: Part 66 pp. 67–70.
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-65:068-071
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-65:068-071 Document: Teletype Philadelphia to Director, Minneapolis and Seattle re aircraft access panels and witness account Id: Cooper-Part-65:068-071 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-65%3A068-071 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 65 pp. 68–71 (DB Cooper-27289, DB Cooper-27291, DB Cooper-27292), Teletype, dated 3 Dec 1971, serial 144-81-5413 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-65%3A068-071
NR003 PH PLAIN 610 PM URGENT 12-3-71 DCC TO DIRECTOR (164-2111) MINNEAPOLIS (164-73) SEATTLE (164-81) FROM PHILADELPHIA (164-133)
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UNSUB; NORTHWEST AIRLINES, FLIGHT THREE ZERO FIVE, NOVEMBER TWENTY- FOUR LAST, CAA - HIJACKING; OO: SEATTLE
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RE PH TEL CALL TO SEATTLE DEC. TWO LAST, AND SEATTLE TELETYPE TO PH DATED DEC. ONE LAST.
ON DEC. TWO LAST, [REDACTED], STEWARDESS, NORTHWEST AIRLINES, RESIDING [REDACTED] [REDACTED], PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFO:
WHEN SHE DEPARTED PLANE IN SEATTLE TO PICK UP TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, HIJACKER INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO USE THE LAVATORY AND STARTED TOWARD THE AFT LAVATORY. WHEN SHE RETURNED TO THE PLANE WITH THE MONEY, HE WAS IN HIS SEAT. SHE DOES NOT RECALL HIJACKER CHANGING CLOTHES OR HAVING ANY OTHER CLOTHES IN HIS POSESSION AND TO THE BEST OF HER KNOWLEDGE, HE WAS [REDACTED]
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[guess: Search]
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Sub. E [guess: 144]-81-[guess: 5413]
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SEARCHED........INDEXED...... SERIALIZED..../m/..FILED../3/.. DEC 8 1971 FBI - SEATTLE
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b6 b7C
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DB Cooper-27289
PAGE TWO
THE ATTACHE CASE WHEN HE WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE AFT LAVATORY. HE WAS CARRYING THE CASE ON ITS SIDE IN HIS LEFT HAND WITH HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE CASE.
[REDACTED] OBSERVED AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER A GREEN SHOPPING TYPE BAG ON TOP OF ATTACHE CASE, SIZE OF BAG APPROXIMATELY THAT OF A DRESS SHIRT SIZE BAG FROM A CLOTHING STORE. HIJACKER WORE NON-LACE TYPE SHOES OF ANKLE LENGTH. THE HIJACKER DID NOT BRING FOOD ONTO THE PLANE OR EAT ANY FOOD EXCEPT FOR HAVING A DRINK OF LIQUOR.
PRIOR TO TAKE OFF FROM SEATTLE AIRPORT, HIJACKER GAVE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS TO PILOT:
"WE ARE GOING TO MEXICO CITY. FLAPS DOWN, YOU CAN TRIM THEM TO FIFTEEN, YOU CAN STOP ANYWHERE IN MEXICO TO REFUEL, BUT NOWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AFT DOOR TO BE OPEN, STAIRS DOWN, CABIN LIGHTS OUT, EVERYONE TO BE FORWARD OF FIRST CLASS CURTAIN, AND ALTITUDE UNDER TEN THOUSAND FEET." THERE WAS NO MENTION BY HIJACKER OF A HEADING OR AIR SPEED FOR FLIGHT.
[REDACTED] ADVISED IT WAS HER RECOLLECTION THAT HIJACKER INITIALLY WANTED HER TO LOWER THE REAR STAIRS OR LADDER AND LATER CHANGED
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HIS MIND AFTER AIRCRAFT TOOK OFFM SHE WAS IN THE COCKPIT WITHIN FIVE MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF AND RECALLS TEN MINUTES AFTER BEING IN COCKPIT THAT ONE OF THE COCKPIT CREW RECEIVED AN INTERPHONE CALL FROM HIJACKER ADVISING HE COULD NOT LOWER THE LADDER SO THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT OFF AND REDUCED SPEED. SHE RECALLS SEEING THE RED LIGHT GO ON ON THE SECOND OFFICER'S PANEL INDICATING THE REAR LADDER HAD DROPPED AND WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF THE FIRST CALL A SECOND CALL WAS RECEIVED BY ONE OF THE OFFICERS FROM HIJACKER WHICH WAS THE LAST COMMUNICATION WITH THE HIJACKER.
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ON DECEMBER TWO LAST, INVESTIGATION AT PHILADELPHIA INTERNATION-
AL AIRPORT REVEALED THAT THERE IS AN ACCESS PANEL IN THE REAR LADDER. WELL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WELL ENABLING MECHANICS TO REACH EQUIPMENT BETWEEN WELL AND OUTER FUSELAGE OF THE SHIP IN THE TAIL. THIS PANEL CAN BE OPENED FROM INSIDE THE WELL AND THE FUSELAGE WITHOUT TOOLS. FACING THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT IT IS NOTED THAT THE AREA BEHIND THE PANEL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WELL CONTAINS SUFFICIENT ROOM FOR TWO OR THREE MEN TO BE INSIDE. THE
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DB Cooper-27291
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SAME ROOM IS AVAILABLE BEHIND THE RIGHT PANEL, HOWEVER, A MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE AIR DUCTS CONTAINED WITHIN THAT WALL WOULD CAUSE THE HEAT INSIDE THE PANEL TO BE TOO HOT FOR MAN TO SURVIVE.
SEATTLE CONSIDER CHECK OF LEFT REAR TAIL PANEL SECTION OF HIJACKED AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE IF IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HIJACKER MAY HAVE UTILIZED THIS SPACE TO CONCEAL HIMSELF DURING FLIGHT.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
END
SLA
SEATTLE BFBI CLR
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DB Cooper-27292
Serials: 144-81-5413, 164-2111, MP 164-73, PH 164-133, SE 164-81