Part 50, page 195

Transcript

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if he didn't receive $200,000 and four parachutes as soon as the plane landed at Seattle.

Tense airport personnel notified Northwest Airlines officials and the FBI, who decided to meet the skyjacker's demands. When Flight 305 reached Seattle, it circled in the vicinity for two- and-a-half hours while airline represen- tatives gathered the money from four banks—all in $20 bills—and recorded the serial numbers.

"We were told there was a minor me- chanical problem," remembers Seattle attorney George LaBissoniere, who was seated two rows in front of Cooper. "I walked to the bathroom a couple of times and passed him, but at no time did we know there was a hijacker aboard. Everyone remained calm, and the drinks were on the house."

When the plane finally landed at Seattle, Cooper's 36 fellow passengers and Flo Schaffner and another steward- ess disembarked. Cooper had demanded that one stewardess remain on board as a hostage. Tina Muchlow didn't consid- er herself especially brave, but some- body had to volunteer. Now she was on her own.

Also remaining on the plane was the three-man flight crew, headed by Cap- tain William Scott. Four sport parachutes were delivered and left just inside one of the cabin doors. A short time later an FBI agent walked slowly up the ramp and silently handed Muchlow a heavy canvas mailbag containing the ran- som money.

Struggling to get a better grip on the 46-pound moneybag, she turned into the darkened cabin. The shades had been pulled shut on all the porthole- shaped windows. Cooper was too smart to let himself be picked off by police sharpshooters. Behind Muchlow, in the cockpit, the flight crew waited for fur- ther instructions now that the plane had been refueled. In front of her, hidden somewhere in the shadows of the empty seats, was D. B. Cooper—and his bomb.

As she walked slowly down the aisle, Muchlow's foot struck a strange object. For a frightening instant she thought she might have kicked the bomb. She lost her balance and was starting to fall when Cooper caught her from the side. As the bag fell to the floor, she found herself steadied in his strong arms.

One reporter has learned that he held the woman for several seconds, but she didn't back away. She could feel his warmth, power and confidence. He wasn't sweaty or nervous. Days, weeks, even years later, whenever Muchlow remembered this scary night, she would recall this moment—when she first (continued on page 86)

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THE FLIGHT OF D.B. COOPER

[Map annotations, top to bottom:] $200,000 ransom and four parachutes supplied at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

SEATTLE

WASHINGTON

Route of Flight 305.

CASCADE RANGE

Cascade Mountains. Oregon. Jack Coffelt says he landed here.

COLUMBIA RIVER

Lake Merwin, Washington. FBI says Cooper bailed out over this eight-mile- long body of water.

Site of annual D.B. Cooper Festival

Brian Ingram discovers $4,000 in decomposed ransom money.

Willamette River Valley. Primary wilderness search area.

PORTLAND

Cooper buys a ticket on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305.

OREGON

CASCADE RANGE

Flight 305 flies on to Reno, Nevada, after Cooper bails out.

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HUSTLER AUKDB Cooper-20800