Part 43, page 25

Transcript

The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.

FD-350 (Rev. 10-19-77)

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[illegible initials/signature]

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Old parachute wasn't from famed hijacker

Cowlitz County Sheriff Les Nelson says a parachute found in the Kalama River area last Wednesday was definitely not one used by D.B. Cooper in the skyjacking of a Nor- thwest Orient Airlines jet on Nov. 24, 1971.

"We checked with the FBI Tues- day, and they say this is neither the type nor color of the chutes Cooper had," Nelson said.

The parachute turned over to the sheriff's office Monday had a small tag bearing the words "U.S. Air Force," he said, and appeared to be a drag chute.

It was discovered by a logger, Darrell G. Ray of 118 Red Row, Kelso, near the 6257 line off Kalama River Road.

The chute had been buried under vegetation, and appeared to have been in the woods for a long time, ac- cording to the sheriff's office.

Bill Williams, an FBI spokesman in Portland, said the chute is not related to the skyjacking case, even though it was found in the general area where Cooper is believed to have left the plane.

The man using the name D. B. Cooper boarded the jet bound from Portland to Seattle on Thanksgiving eve 1971. During the flight he threatened to blow up the plane with a bomb he claimed to have in a brief- case unless he was given ransom money.

After the aircraft landed in Seat- tle, he freed the passengers and was given $200,000 cash and four parachutes. He ordered the plane to fly to Reno, but opened the rear airstair over Southwest Washington, and bailed out.

No trace has been found of the sky- jacker, the ransom money or the parachutes.

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(Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.)

_____ Page B? The Daily News Longview, Wa.

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Date: 11/14/79 Edition:

Title:

Character: or Classification: 164-81 - Submitting Office: SE

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SEARCHED...... SERIALI[ZED]...... NOV 4 1979 [illegible]

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FBI/DOJ

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DB Cooper-17204