Part 77, page 133
Document date November 2003
FBI 164-81, Vault Part 77 p. 133 (DB Cooper-33729), News clipping, dated Nov 2003 — cooper.theunsolved.net/parts/Cooper-Part-77/pages/133
Transcript
The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.
Almost every skydiver who has ever flown on a commercial airliner has looked out the window and thought, "What would it be like to jump from this jet? Is this a good spot? Would I freefall or deploy right away? Where would I land? Where is the nearest town?"
On Thanksgiving eve in 1971, one person did jump from an airliner—with $200,000 of stolen cash strapped to his waist. His jump launched the largest manhunt in the nation and changed air travel forever.
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the mystery of D.B. Cooper by musika farnsworth
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The year was 1971. USPA had recently changed its name from the Parachute Club of America and was growing at the rate of 1,000 new members a year. The largest freefall formation on record was a 10-man star. Attempts to break the record that year with 14 jumpers failed. Most skydivers jumped with motorcycle helmets, and a stopwatch next to the altimeter helped with altitude awareness. USPA produced a new film called "This is a Sport," which sold for $100 to USPA members and $150 to non-members—that's $700 in today's currency.
Taking Control of the Plane On a rainy and windy afternoon before Thanksgiving, November 24, 1971, a man described as tall, thin and in his 40s purchased a one-way ticket from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle,
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Washington, aboard Northwest Airlines flight 305. He wore sunglasses, a dark suit and a tie and gave the name Dan Cooper. He checked in no luggage but carried on a briefcase. As the plane was taxiing for takeoff, the man handed the flight attendant a note, which she immediately put into her pocket, thinking he was merely trying to give her his phone number. Once in the air, he discreetly showed the attendant the explosives in his briefcase and instructed her and the crew to carefully read the note and follow the instructions. Cooper's instructions demanded a knapsack, $200,000 cash in small bills and "two front packs and two backpacks," or two complete parachute rigs including belly-mounted reserves. Cooper also demanded that the 727 land in an unlit, secluded and unused portion of Seattle's airport and that the aircraft not land until the parachutes and cash were ready for him. The
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32 - NOVEMBER 2003 - PARACHUTIST
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DB Cooper-33729