Salt Lake City to Director, Portland, Minneapolis and Seattle comparing NORJAK and McCoy hijackings
This copy: Part 94 pp. 129–137Also filed at Part 24 pp. 306–314 (primary)
This copy’s own title
Immediate teletype Salt Lake City comparing NORJAK hijacking with Richard Floyd McCoy UAL hijacking
— revised to match this copy’s own text.
Document date 12 April 1972
Another copy of this document is the primary, most legible copy: Part 24 pp. 306–314.
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-94:129-137
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-94:129-137 Document: Immediate teletype Salt Lake City comparing NORJAK hijacking with Richard Floyd McCoy UAL hijacking Id: Cooper-Part-94:129-137 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-94%3A129-137 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 94 pp. 129–137 (DB Cooper-42188–42196), Teletype, dated 12 Apr 1972, serial PD 164-41-939 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-94%3A129-137
NR 008 SU PLAIN 12:14AM SENT 4/12/72 PM IMMEDIATE . 4/11/72 ACJ TO DIRECTOR (164-2111) PORTLAND (164-41) MINNEAPOLIS (164-73) SEATTLE (164-81) FROM SALT LAKE CITY (164-24)
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NORJAK. OO:SE.
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REVIEW OF NORJAK CASE FILE, SU DIVISION, REVEALED NUMEROUS SIMILARITIES IN M.O. OF CAPTIONED CASE AND SU CASE ENTITLED "RICHARD FLOYD MC COY, JR.; CRIME ABOARD AIRCRAFT DASH HIJACKING; INTERFERENCE WITH FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS (UAL). IN NORJAK ENVELOPE CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS FURNISHED STEWARDESS. IN UAL, ENVELOPE AND TWO-PAGE SINGLE SPACED, TYPE- WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS, WITH ENVELOPE CONTAINING HAND GRENADE SAFETY PIN AND FORTY-FIVE CALIBER CARTRIDGE GIVEN TO STEWARDESS. SUBJECT IN NORJAK EXHIBITED CONTENTS OF ATTACHE CASE ALLEGED TO CONTAIN DYNAMITE. IN UAL CASE, HIJACKER EXHIBITED GUN AND GRENADE AND INDICATED HE HAD PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE. END PAGE ONE
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SA Ralph Himmelsbach advised 11:45 Pm [initials]
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SEARCHED ___INDEXED___ SERIALIZED___FILED___ APR 1 1 1972 FBI — PORTLAND
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164-41-939
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DB Cooper-42188
SU 164-24 PAGE TWO
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NORJAK CASE, UNSUB DICTATED MESSAGE TO STEWARDESS AS FOLLOWS: "I WANT TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BY FIVE PM IN CASH. PUT IT IN A KNAPSACK. I WANT TWO BACK PARACHUTES AND TWO FRONT PARA- CHUTES. WHEN WE LAND, I WANT A FUEL TRUCK READY TO REFUEL. NO FUNNY SZUFF, OR I'LL DO THE JOB."
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UAF CASE, SPECIFIC TYPEWRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FOR UAL-TO HAVE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS. TWO BACK AND TWO FRONT PARACHUTES OF A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURE AND LOCA- TION WHERE THEY COULD BE OBTAINED AT SAN FRANCISCO, THAT FUEL TRUCK WITH SIX HOURS FUEL AND TWO MEN ON TRUCK BE AVAILABLE; THAT ALL VEHICLES BE ONE HUNDRED FEET FROM NOSE OF AIRCRAFT ON LEFT SIDE, AND THAT CAPTAIN OF HIJACKED PLANE USE RUNWAY NINETEEN LEFT AT SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
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IN JORJAK, PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANED AND ONE STEWARDESS AND THREE MALE FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS REMAINED ON BOARD. IN UAL, ALL PASSENGERS DEPLANED, TWO STEWARDESSES AND THREE FLIGHT CREW PERSONNEL REMAINED ON BOARD.
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NORJAK CASE, HIJACKER INSTRUCTED HE BE FLOWN TO MEXICO CITY. END PAGE TWO
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DB Cooper-42189
SU 164-14 PAGE THREE
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INSTURCTING PILOT TO FLY AT NOT MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND FEET, WITH FLAPS AT FIFTEEN DEGREES, THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND REAR STEPS OF PLANE ALSO DOWN, PLANE INVOLVED BEING BOEING SEVEN TWO SEVEN, A TRI-JET, WITH STAIRS AT REAR. HIJACKER FINALLY AGREED TO HAVING STEPS RAISED. (IT IS NOTED BOEING SEVEN TWO SEVEN AIRCRAFT UNABLE TO TAKE OFF WITH STAIRS IN LOWERED POSITION. HOWEVER IN ORDER FOR STAIRS TO BE LOWERED IN FLIGHT, IT IS NECESSARY THAT REAR PRESSURED DOOR BE IN OPEN POSITION ON TAKE-OFF.)
CONTINUING IN NORJAK, STEWARDESS REMAINED IN CABIN WITH HIJACKER, AND HIJACKER HAD STEWARDESS SHOW HIM HOW TO LOWER STEPS AND ORDERED HER TO GO TO FIRST-CLASS SECTION. UAL CASE, HIJACKER ORDERED STEWARDESS TO GO TO FRONT SECTION OF PLANE AND DID NOT REQUIRE INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HOW TO OPERATE LOWERING MECHANISM OF REAR STAIRS.
NORJAK CASE, PLANE CAPTAIN IN CONTACT WITH HIJACKER BY INTER- COM AND JUST PRIOR TO FINAL COMMUNICATION WITH HIJACKER, CAPTAIN HAD SIGNAL INDICATING STARS HAD BEEN LOWERED.
UAL CASE, PLANE CREW ON OXYGEN FLYING AT SIXTEEN THOUSAND END PAGE THREE
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DB Cooper-42190
SU 164-24 PAGE FOUR
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FEET FOR PERIOD OF ONE AND ONE-HALF HOURS PRIOR TO HIJACKER JUMPING DUE TO OPEN REAR STAIRS.
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NORJAK CASE, BOEING SEVEN TWO SEVEN FLYING AT ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY KNOTS. UAL CASE, BOEING SEVEN TWO SEVEN FLYING AT ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY KNOTS, WHICH APPROXIMATES TWO HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR OR THREE MILES PER MINUTE, AT INSTRUCTION OF HIJACKER.
NORJAK CASE, TWO PARACHUTES REMAINED ON AIRCRAFT WHEN IT ARRIVED RENO, NEVADA, ONE OF WHICH WAS OPEN AND THREE SHROUD LINES HAD BEEN CUT AND REMOVED FROM PARACHUTE, PRESUMABLY TO TIE RANSOM MONEY PACKAGE TO HIJACKER. UAL CASE, HIJACKER JETTISONED ONE, TWO OR THREE PARACHUTES IN NEVADA, AT LEASE ONE CONTAINING HOMING DEVICE AND HAD ROPE OR HARNESS IN HIS POSSESSION TO FASTEN MONEY AND EQUIPMENT TO HIM. IN UAL CASE ROPE WAS NINETEEN FEET LONG, WITH EYE GROMMETS. IN INTERVIEW OF LOCAL NATIONAL GUARD PARACHUTE JUMPER, HE INDICATED IT IS STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE IN NATIONAL GUARD UNITS TO HAVE "H" HARNESS WITH WHICH EQUIPMENT PACKAGE IS STRAPPED TO BODY. APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FOOT ROPE IS FASTENED TO HARNESS AND EQUIPMENT PACKAGE, AND AFTER PARACHUTE IS OPENED, JUMPER
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END PAGE FOUR
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DB Cooper-42191
SU 164-24 PAGE FIVE
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LOWERS PACKAGE SO IT DANGLES BELOW HIM. AS JUMPER APPROACHES GROUND, HE RELEASES ROPE FROM BODY HARNESS WITH RESULT PACKAGE WILL DROP IN IMMEDIATE AREA OF LANDING. JUMPER CANNOT RETAIN PACKAGE FASTENED TO BODY AS THIS WOULD HINDER LANDING OPER- ATION AND POSSIBLY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION IN BOTH CASES IS REMARKABLY SIMILAR. IN NORJAK CASE, SUBJECT IS DESCRIBED AS POSSIBLY IN MID-FORTIES, AND PERSONAL OBSERVATION OF SUBJECT, AGE TWENTY-NINE, GIVES IMME- DIATE IMPRESSI OF POSSIY FTM CPSITE PHOGRAPH OF NORJAK SUBJECT BEARS STRONG RESEMBLANCE, PARTICULARLY HAIRLINE, HAIR PART, SHAPE OF FACE AND NOSE. IN NORJAK CASE, WITNESSES DESCRIBED SUBJECT'S COMPLEXION AS OLIVE, LATIN APPEARANCE, MEDIUM SMOOTH. IN UAL CASE, WITNESSES LIKEWISE DESCRIBED SUBJECT AS OF DARK COMPLEXION, POSSIBLY MEXICAN, BELIEVED DUE TO MAKE UP. IN NORJAK CASE, SUBJECT DESCRIBED AS HAVING SIDEBURNS AT LOW EAR LEVEL. SUBJECT IN UAL CASE UPON ARREST HAS SIDEBURNS TO BOTTOM LOBE OF EAR. IN NORJAK CASE, WITNESSES STATED VOICE HAD NO PARTICULAR ACCENT, POSSIBLY FROM MID-WEST SECTION OF U.S. IN UAL CASE,
END PAGE FIVE
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DB Cooper-42192
SU 164-24 PAGE SIX WITNESSES DESCRIBED SUBJECT'S VOICE AS NORMAL AND DID NOT REFER TO ANY ACCENT OF ANY TYPE.
IN NORJAK CASE, UNSUB DESCRIBED AS HEAVY SMOKER OF RALEIGH FILTER TIP CIGARETTES. IN UAL CASE, SUBJECT BROUGHT SUPPLY OF CANDY AND CONTINUALLY EATING CANDY DURING FLIGHT. IT IS NOTED UAL INVESTIGATION HAS NOT INDICATED UAL SUBJECT SMOKES; HOWEVER IS FROM RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. CANDY COULD BE SUBSTITUTE FOR CIGARETTES; HOWEVER SUBJECT IN EACH CASE OBVIOUSLY NERVOUS.
IN UAL CASE, THERE IS OBVIOUS EVIDENCE SUBJECT ATTEMPTED TO DISGUISE HIMSELF AFTER BOARDING PLANE, IN THAT HE ON TWO OCCASIONS SPENT EXTENDED PERIODS IN LAVATORY AND EMERGED WITH BLACK HAIR WIG AND FALSE MUSTACHE.
NORJAK CASE, SUBJECT DURING LATTER PART OF FLIGHT PUT ON DARK WRAP-AROUND SUNGLASSES, WITH DARK RIMS. UAL CASE, SUBJECT BOARDED PLANE WITH MIRROR TYPE SUNGLASSES.
IN NORJAK CASE, SUBJECT BELIEVED TO HAVE DEPARTED PLANE IN AREA CONTAINING A NOTICEABLE BEACON AND FARM LAND. IN UAL CASE, SUBJECT DEPARTED PLANE SHORTLY AFTER HEADING EAST OF UTAH LAKE END PAGE SIX
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DB Cooper-42193
SU 164-24 PAGE SEVEN
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NEAR AIRPORT WITH BEACON AND IMMEDIATELY BEYOND, FARM LAND THUS PROVIDING EXCELLENT BEARINGS FOR JUMP.
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IN NORJAK CASE, UNSUB VERY INSISTENT UPON RETRIEVING IN- STRUCTIONS AFTER READING BY PILOT. IN UAL CASE, SUBJECT LIKEWISE INSISTENT UPON RETRIEVING INSTRUCTIONS. ADVANCE PREPARATION OF FLIGHT PLAN INSTRUCTIONS IN UAL CASE COULD LOGICALLY REPRESENT REFINEMENT OF M.O.
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INTERVIEW OF SISTER-IN-LAW OF UAL SUBJECT INDICATES SUBJECT HAD ADVISED HER THAT IF HE WERE EVER TO BE INVOLVED IN HIJACKING, HE WOULD NOT SPEND ANY OF HIJACKED LOOT FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MARKED WITH SUBSTANCE THAT WOULD BE VISIBLE BY USE OF AN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT AND HE WOULD NOT SPENDSANY OF THE MONEY FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE HE BELIEVED HE COULD NOT BE PROSECUTED AFTER SEVEN YEARS FOLLOWING THE CRIME.
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INTERVIEWS OF ACQUAINTANCES OF SUBJECT IN UAL CASE INDICATE SUBJECT OBSESSED WITH IDEA OF HIJACKING AND CONTINUALLY BROUGHT UP DISCUSSIONS WHEREIN HE ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN OPINIONS AS TO WHAT THE OTHER HIJACKERS HAD DONE WRONG IN THEIR OPERATION. THESE ACQUAINT- ANCES DESCRIBED SUBJECT IN UAL CASE AS NOT PARTICULARLY EXPERT
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END PAGE SEVEN
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DB Cooper-42194
SU 164-24 PAGE EIGHT
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JUMPER AND FURTHER DISCUSSED SPECIAL PROBLEMS ATTENDANT TO NIGHTTIME JUMPS.
IT IS NOTED THAT IN SEARCH OF UAL SUBJECT'S VEHICLE, HE HAD NEWSPAPER ARTICLE CONCERNING UAL HIJACKING IN CAR, AND IT IS FURTHER NOTED THAT SEARCH OF SUBJECT'S RESIDENCE DISCOVERED FILE OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS CONCERNING NORJAK CASE.
SU IS ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH WHEREABOUTS OF UAL SUBJECT NOVEMBER TWENTY-FOUR LAST AND PERIODS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR THERETO.
BANK ACCOUNT RECORDS HAVE BEEN LOCATED AND WILL BE MADE AVAIL- ABLE APRIL TWELVE NEXT.
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INSTRUCTORS AT BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY (BYU) ADVISED ATTEND- ANCE RECORDS NOT KEPT AND THREE INSTRUCTORS RECALLED PERIODS OF ABSENCE DURING AUTUMN SEMESTER, NINETEEN SEVENTY-ONE, WHICH COULD POSSIBLY BE DURING PERTINENT PERIOD. HOWEVER, NO SPECIFIC INFORMATION DEVELOPED THESE SOURCES.
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TELEPHONE TOLL RECORDS BEING OBTAINED.
NATIONAL GUARD RECORDS BEING OBTAINED TO DETERMINE POSSIBLE DUTY OF SUBJECT DURING PERTINENT PERIOD. END PAGE EIGHT
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DB Cooper-42195
SU 164-24 PAGE NINE
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SINCE UAL SUBJECT BELIEVED TO HAVE MADE DRY RUN ON SAME DAY OF WEEK ONE WEEK BEFORE HIJACK FLIGHTS, LEADS SET OUT TO CHECK FOR TRANSPORTATION ONE, TWO, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS BEFORE NORJAK.
IT IS NOTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF UAL SUBJECT HAVE BEEN FURNISHED TO NORJAK OFFICES HAVING WITNESSES, THESE PHOTOGRAPHS BEING STANDUP FRONT AND PROFILE, BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS, AS WELL AS TWO TYPES OF COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
ABOVE IS BASED ON VERY LIMITED INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO SU ON NORJAK CASE. HOWEVER, SEATTLE IS SENDING ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND IT IS BELIEVED THERE WILL BE MANY MORE SIMILARITIES IN THESE TWO CASES.
SU'S REPORT IS IN TYPING AND COPY WILL BE FURNISHED SE AND PD.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
END.
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XX AJW FBI PORTLAND CL RUT
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DB Cooper-42196
Serials: 164-2111, MP 164-73, PD 164-41, PD 164-41-939, SE 164-81, SU 164-14, SU 164-24