Part 43, page 426
DB Cooper-17675Serials SE 164-81-8315
Document date 16 February 1980
FBI 164-81, Vault Part 43 p. 426 (DB Cooper-17675), News clipping, dated 16 Feb 1980, serial SE 164-81-8315 (as read from the transcript) — cooper.theunsolved.net/parts/Cooper-Part-43/pages/426
Transcript
The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.
FD-350 (Rev. 12-5-78) (Indicate's .ge, name of newspaper, city and state.) no. 15, The Columbian Vancouver, Wa. Date: 2/16/80 Edition: (Mount Clipping in Space Below) Title: Character: 164-RL or Classification: Submitting Office: SE
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FBI geologist favors Washougal River landing for D.B. /Subs: B,E,4,M,
By MYRON STRUCK States News Service WASHINGTON — Did D.B. Cooper land in, or near, the Washougal River rather than the Lewis River?
In the personal opinion of the chief FBI geologist who worked on the case, D.B. Cooper may have landed in the Washougal River, not near the Lewis River where it had been presumed that he came to earth —
before about $5,800 in compressed, wet and eroded money was found along the banks of the Columbia River in February upstream from the Lewis.
The Washougal River scenario is the private view of geologist Chris Fiedler, who handled the soil analysis on the money, and not part of the agency's official report to the Seattle field office coordinating the
investigation.
Still, it seems to be the only clue — that might help the investigation the FBI was able to glean from a recent analysis of the bills in its Washington, D.C., research area known as The Laboratory.
The official report says little was found on the wad of money. The basis for the new information is Fielder's research of the sand particles found
among the bills and his discussions with federal geologists in the field.
He has concluded that the range of sand particles found among the bills is similar to sediment along the Columbia River and a number of its tributaries.
Fiedler's opinion has been disavowed firmly by his mineralogy division section chief.
"He could have landed in the Columbia River," Fiedler said. "Or he could have come down in the Washougal. The latter is where my training, and instincts, tell me is more likely, based on the data I have available."
The sand tests involve little in the way of complicated equipment — only a simple microscope and some geological reference material that discuses the characteristics of sand
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SEARCHED [INDEXED] SERIALIZED [FILED] ...: 19 1980 FBI - SEATTLE
164 81 - 8315
COPY SENT TO BUREAU FBI/DOJ
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DB Cooper-17675