Interview of former Air America employee with smokejumping experience
Interviewed 14 July 1975Dictated 18 July 1975Transcribed 24 July 1975
Also filed at: Part 36 pp. 116–117 · Part 72 pp. 184–185 · Part 119 pp. 16–17
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-72:182-183
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-72:182-183 Document: FD-302 interview of former Air America employee with smokejumping experience Id: Cooper-Part-72:182-183 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-72%3A182-183 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 72 pp. 182–183 (DB Cooper-31047–31048), FD-302 interview, interviewed 14 Jul 1975 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-72%3A182-183
FD-302 (REV. 11-27-70)
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Date of transcription 7/24/75
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[REDACTED], Oklahoma, telephone [REDACTED], was advised of the identity of the interviewing agent and provided the following information.
[REDACTED] stated he is presently employed by United Farm Service as [REDACTED] and has worked for them since [REDACTED]. He was formerly employed by Air America Airlines from [REDACTED] having been terminated with them as a result of the close down of the war in VietNam. He advised Air American Airlines primarily carried government contract freight and all of the work that he was involved with them was in Southeast Asia.
[REDACTED] advised his records reveal he took leave and returned to the United States from July 8, 1971 to August 1, 1971 and again from approximately June 10, 1972 to January, 1973. He advised due to this leave, he does not believe he was in the United States during the Thanksgiving period of 1971.
He advised that during his employment with Air America Airlines, he was under the immediate supervision [REDACTED] who now resides at [REDACTED] Lexington, Kentucky.
He stated he did not recall a film on parachuting from a 727 airplane, however, he had heard that several employees of Air America had parachuted from such a plane with no problems and he believed it could be done with relative ease depending upon the minimum speed of the aircraft (this speed unknown to [REDACTED]).
[REDACTED] advised he worked as a smoke-jumper during the summers of 1961 and 1962 in Montana, and the summers of 1963 through 1965 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He advised he is familiar with northern Idaho and Montana but not with the state of Washington. He admitted he probably had flown over Washington on leave while returning to the United States from Southeast Asia, however, he does not recall actually being in Portland or Seattle during 1971.
[REDACTED] advised he is not a pilot but was [REDACTED]. He stated most [REDACTED] for Air America had parachute backgrounds in 30% of the freight /that
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Interviewed on 7/14/75 at [REDACTED] Oklahoma File # 164-56
by SA [REDACTED] Date dictated 7/18/75
This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.
164-81-[illegible] 164-56-96 DB Cooper-31047
OC 164-56
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handled by Air America was parachuted for delivery. He advised that he had no trouble with American Airlines, with the exception of some benefits amounting to $4300 which he received this year. He advised he had trouble claiming this in connection with his employment with American Airlines, in that his employment was split by military service.
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[REDACTED] denied having any information on the hijacking and observed the artist's conceptions of the subject, and stated he could not think of anyone similar to the pictures. The following description was taken from observation and inter- view:
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Name [REDACTED] Race White Sex Male Nationality American Date of Birth [REDACTED] Height 5'11" Weight 165 pounds Hair Black Eyes Green Social Security Account # [REDACTED] Army Serial Number [REDACTED] Religion [REDACTED]
Habits and Standard Does not appear to smoke of Living cigarettes and was engaged in a modest standard of living. Education Bachelor of Arts Degree, from Northeastern State College, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, having graduated [REDACTED] Complexion Dark Criminal background None admitted Speech accent None noted of any kind.
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DB Cooper-31048