Nitel Seattle to Director, Portland and Las Vegas re UNSUB, Northwest Flight 305 hijacking (5:10 AM)
This copy: Part 97 pp. 345–352Also filed at Part 10 pp. 309–316 (primary) · Part 10 pp. 317–324
This copy’s own title
Nitel Seattle to Director, Portland and Las Vegas summarizing hijacking of Northwest Flight 305
Document date 25 November 1971
Another copy of this document is the primary, most legible copy: Part 10 pp. 309–316.
Copies may differ in what was redacted.
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Id: Cooper-Part-97:345-352
Subject: Cooper Files: Cooper-Part-97:345-352 Document: Nitel Seattle to Director, Portland and Las Vegas summarizing hijacking of Northwest Flight 305 Id: Cooper-Part-97:345-352 Page: https://cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-97%3A345-352 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 97 pp. 345–352 (DB Cooper-43894–43901), Teletype, dated 25 Nov 1971 — cooper.theunsolved.net/documents/Cooper-Part-97%3A345-352
NR002 SE PLAIN 6:28 AM NITEL 11/25/71 SWD TO DIRECTOR PORTLAND LAS VEGAS FROM SEATTLE (164-NEW) 8P
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UNKNOWN SUBJECT; NORTHWEST FLIGHT 305, NOVEMBER TWENTYFOUR, SEVENTYONE. CAA - HIJACKING; EXTORTION.
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SEATTLE-TACOMA AIEPORT (SEA-TAC) CALLED AT APPROXIMATELY THREE TWENTYTWO PM, NOVEMBER TWENTYFOUR INSTANT, ADVISING THAT A MAN ABOARD INSTANT PLANE AT PORTLAND, OREGON, PASSED WORD TO THE PILOT THAT HE HAD A BOMB IN HIS BRIEFCASE AND DEMANDED TWO HUNDREDTHOUSAND DOLLARS. HE INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO GET THIS MONEY READY BY FIVE PM, AND ALSO TO FURNISH HIM TWO PARACHUTES. SUBJECT INSTRUCTED PILOT TO HAVE NO ONE MEET THE AIRCRAFT; NO ONE WAS TO APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT AND THAT HE WOULD ADVISE LATER WHAT HIS FLIGHT PLANS WERE. END OF PAGE ONE
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Sub. 2. 164-81-†
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DB COOPER-43894
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p.4
PAGE TWO SE 164-NEW
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SUBSEQUENTLY THE PILOT CIRCLED THE FIELD AT SEA-TAC UNTIL FIVE FORTYTHREE PM, WHEN THE PLANE LANDED. THE TIME WAS CONSUMED IN OBTAINING THE TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND IN OBTAINING PARACHUTES. IT IS NOTED THAT SUBJECT, DURING THIS TIME, CHANGED HIS REQUEST FOR PARACHUTES TO FOUR IN ALL, TWO BACK PACKS AND TWO CHEST PACKS.
SUBJECT'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR HANDLING THE MONEY AND THE PARACHUTES TO THE PLANE WERE THAT NO ONE WAS TO APPROACH THE PLANE EXCEPT ONE REFUELING TRUCK; A BUS TO TAKE OFF THE PASSENGERS AND THE MESSENGER WITH THE MONEY AND THE PARACHUTES. THE SUBJECT STATED THAT HE WOULD ALLOW ONE OF THE STEWARDESSES TO LEAVE THE PLANE; GET THE PARACHUTES AND THE MONEY AND DELIVER THEM TO HIM. HE STATED HE WOULD RELEASE THE REST OF THE PASSENGERS AND THE OTHER TWO STEWARDESSES AFTER THE PARACHUTES AND MONEY WERE ON BOARD.
END OF PAGE TWO
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DB COOPER-43895
PAGE THREE SE 164-NEW
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IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PLANE CARRIED THIRTYSEVEN PASSENGERS; THREE MALE CREW MEMBERS AND THREE STEWARDESSES.
PILOT AND NORTHWEST AIRLINES OFFICIALS WERE POSITIVE IN THEIR STATEMENT THAT THEY WANTED NO ONE ELSE TO GO NEAR THE PLANE WHICH WAS PARKED ON A FAR CORNER OF THE FIELD AND WANTED NO INTERFERENCE IN THE REFUELING OPERATION AND DELIVERY OF THE MONEY AND PARACHUTES.
THE MONEY AND PARACHUTES WERE DELIVERED BY [REDACTED], NORTHWEST AIRLINES AT SEATTLE. THIRTYSIX OF THE PASSENGERS AND TWO STEWARDESSES LEFT THE PLANE AND CAME INTO THE TERMINAL. THE PLANE WAS REFUELED TO FULL CAPACITY. THE SUBJECT GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PILOT THAT THE PLANE WAS TO FLY WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN, REAR HATCH DOOR OPEN AND THE FLAPS AT A FIFTEEN DEGREE ANGLE. IT IS NOTED THAT INSTANT PLANE IS A BOEING SEVEN TWO SEVEN WHICH HAS A LOWER REAR DOOR UNDERNEATH THE AIRPLANE. NORTHWEST OFFICIALS ADVISE THAT WITH THE FUEL ON HAND AND FLYING IN THIS CONDITION AT APPROX- IMATELY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY KNOTS, THAT THEY HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY TO SACRAMENTO OR RENO. END OF PAGE THREE
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DB COOPER-43896
PAGE FOUR SE 164-NEW
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PLANE WAS AIRBORNE AT SEVEN THIRTYSEVEN PM, FLYING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, UNDER THE SURVEILLANCE OF TWO PLANES FROM MC CHORD AIR FORCE BASE.
THE NAME DAN COOPER APPEARED ON A MANIFEST OF PASSENGERS BOARDING AT PORTLAND, OREGON. THE SUBJECT IN THIS CASE MADE HIS FIRST APPROACH TO THE STEWARDESS JUST AS THE PLANE WAS LEAVING THE FIELD AT PORTLAND, OREGON. DAN COOPER WAS NOT AMONG THE PASSENGERS DEPLANING AT SEATTLE.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT OBTAINED BY INTERVIEW WITH STEWARD- ESSES AS FOLLOWS:
WHITE, MALE, AMERICAN, OLIVE COMPLEXION, LATIN APPEARANCE, BLACK HAIR, NORMAL HAIR STYLE, PARTED ON LEFT, AGE MIDDLE FORTIES, SIX FEET TALL, ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY TO SEVENTYFIVE LBS., AVERAGE BUILD, BROWN EYES, BLACK SUIT, WHITE SHIRT, NARROW BLACK TIE, BLACK RAIN-TYPE OVERCOAT, BLACK DRESS SUIT, DARK BRIEFCASE.
SUBJECT WAS NOT KNOWN TO BE ARMED HOWEVER, WHEN HE FIRST APPROACHED THE STEWARDESS, HE TOLD HER HE HAD A BOMB IN THE BRIEFCASE AND EXHIBITED THE CONTENTS OF THE BRIEFCASE. END OF PAGE FOUR
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DB COOPER-43897
PAGE FIVE SE 164-NEW
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STEWARDESS [REDACTED] SAID THAT THE SUBJECT DISPLAYED THE CONTENTS OF A BLACK VINYL BRIEFCASE TO HER WHICH CONTAINED A BUNDLE OF RED COLORED STICKS, SIX TO SEVEN INCHES LONG, ABOUT ONE INCH IN DIAMETER. SUBJECT STATED THAT THE STICKS WERE DYNAMITE. SHE SAID THAT THESE STICKS WERE WRAPPED IN A BUNDLE WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE RED PLASTIC TAPE. SHE SAID THAT A RED WIRE LED FROM THE BUNDLE BUT WAS NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. SHE STATED THAT THE MAN HELD THE WIRE IN HIS HAND AS THOUGH HE COULD DETONATE THE DYNAMITE BY MAKING A CONNECTION WITH THE WIRE. SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE IN THE BRIEFCASE WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A BATTERY, ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT KNOW.
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INTERVIEWS OF ALL PASSENGERS AND TWO STEWARDESSES COMPLETED AT SEA-TAC.
SOME PASSENGERS REALIZED HIJACKING IN PROGRESS ABOUT TEN MINUTES OUT OF PORTLAND. HIJACKER BOARDED AT PORTLAND AS ONE OF THE LAST PASSENGERS AND TOOK MIDDLE SEAT IN RIGHT REAR ROW OF COACH SECTION. HIJACKER CARRIED DARK COLORED ATTACHE CASE AND PAPER BAG ABOUT FOUR INCHES BY TWELVE INCHES BY FOURTEEN INCHES. END OF PAGE FIVE
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DB COOPER-43898
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PAGE SIX SE 164-NEW
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PASSENGER OBSERVED STEWARDESS AND HIJACKER CONVERSING THROUGHOUT FLIGHT. IMMEDIATELY UPON LANDING AT SEA-TAC, HIJACKER ENTERED REST ROOM, REMAINED THERE ABOUT ONE MINUTE AND THEN RETURNED TO SEAT PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED.
ONE PASSENGER SCUFFLED BRIEFLY WITH HIJACKER. SECOND PASSENGER PULLED FIRST PASSENGER AWAY FROM HIJACKER. NO OTHER UNUSUAL INCIDENTS OCCURRED BETWEEN PASSENGERS AND HIJACKER.
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INFORMATION CONCERNING THE HIJACKING WAS FURNISHED TO THE FOLLOWING OFFICES BY TELEPHONE:
AQ, BT, SU, SD, LA, SC, SF, PX, LV, PD, DN, AND [REDACTED]
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[REDACTED]
PARACHUTES FURNISHED TO SUBJECT TO SUBJECT ARE DESCRIBED AS: TWO FRONT CHEST CHUTES, TWENTYFORU FEET IN DIAMETER, ALL WHITE NYLON, MODEL T-SEVEN A, WHITE SHROUDS, ABOUT FOURTEEN FEET LONG. NUMBER ONE CONTAINER HAS QUOTE [REDACTED] ENQUOTE WRITTEN ON IT, AND IS ABOUT TEN BY THIRTEEN INCHES, OLIVE DRAB. NUMBER TWO CONTAINER HAS [REDACTED] WRITTEN ON A WHITE PATCH WHICH IS SEWN TO CONTAINER.
END OF PAGE SIX
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DB COOPER-43899
PAGE SEVEN SE 164-NEW
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TWO BACK PACK CHUTES CONTAINERS WERE ORDINARY MILITARY TYPE OLIVE DRAB IN COLOR, TWO TO THREE FEET LONG, FIFTEEN TO EIGHTEEN INCHES WIDE. NUMBER ONE BACK PACK CHUTE DESCRIBED AS CIVILIAN LUXURY TYPE. TAN SOFT COTTON MATERIAL OUTSIDE, TWENTY SIX FOOT WHITE CANOPY INSIDE, AND HAS A MILITARY CHUTE INSIDE OF IT, ALSO ONE OR TWO BURP SACKS, AND USUAL LEAD SEAL. NUMBER TWO BACK PACK SHUTE WAS A MILITARY NYLON TYPE, OLIVE DRAB GREEN OUTSIDE, TWENTY EIGHT FOOT WHITE CANOPY INSIDE, WITH TWO BURP SACKS IN BACK, LEAD SEAL. SEALS HAD NOT BEEN PULLED. [REDACTED] CAN IDENTIFY BOTH. INV CONTINUING TO OBTAIN SERIAL NUMBERS.
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NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT LOG REVEALS THAT AT EIGHT ZERO FIVE PM, WHILE IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON, CAPTAIN ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH UNSUB ON TWO OCCASIONS, AT WHICH TIME UNSUB ADVISED QUOTE EVERYTHING IS OK ENQUOTE. AT EIGHT TWELVE PM, WHILE FLYING SOUTH OF PORTLAND, OREGON, CREW REPORTED GETTING SOME OSCILLATION IN THE CABIN AND ADVISED QUOTE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING WITH AIR STAIRS. ENQUOTE. NO FURTHER ENTRIES ON LOG AT SEATTLE. END OF PAGE SEVEN
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DB COOPER-43900
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PAGE EIGHT SE 164-NEW
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TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OBTAINED BY NORTHWEST AIRLINES FROM SEATTLE FIRST NATIONAL BANK, WHO HAD EARLIER MICROFILMED ENTIRE CONTENTS. MICROFILM BEING OBTAINED AM OF TWENTYFIFTH INSTANT, AT WHICH TIME WILL BE FORWARDED TO BUREAU BY PILOT COURIER.
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MJH FBI LAS VEGAS
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DB COOPER-43901
Serials: SE 164-81