Part 112, page 62
DB Cooper-7103Serials SE 164-81
Document date 2 December 1971
FBI 164-81, Vault Part 112 p. 62 (DB Cooper-7103), Report, dated 2 Dec 1971 — cooper.theunsolved.net/parts/Cooper-Part-112/pages/62
Transcript
The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.
SE 164-81
On 12/2/71, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Seattle, Washington, furnished the following information:
He was [REDACTED] project and he conducted the initial testing of this aircraft.
-> It is physically impossible to make a take-off in the 727 with the rear stairs extended. He explained that if this were attempted the stairs would strike the runway at the point of rotation just prior to liftoff.
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[REDACTED - large block, approximately 15-20 lines redacted under FOIA exemptions b6/b7C]
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On the 727, the rear stairs cannot be lowered from the pilot's compartment. They can be lowered only from the passenger compartment in the rear of the plane or externally if the plane is on the ground.
[REDACTED] advised that once the operation of the rear stairs has started, there is no way to stop them until they have extended to the full position. On the ground when the rear stairs are extended, the weight of the stairs actually carries them to the full open position. If the stairs are extended in flight, the pressure of the wind keeps them from opening to the full position.
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