Part 77, page 136

Transcript

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The Mystery of D.B. Cooper

history of parachuting or just an attitude of thrill-seeking that made someone else suspicious." The FBI investigated about two dozen skydivers, but every suspect either had an alibi for the night of November 24, 1971, or was simply too young to be Cooper.

The Chances of Survival

Whether Cooper pulled off the jump from the Northwest Airlines jet was a source of immense controversy among skydivers at the time. Himmelsbach says, "Skydivers were mixed as to their opinions of the potential success of the jump." Some said Cooper could have easily pulled it off; others said not so because of the weather conditions and the jet's wind blast of almost 170 knots. Rigger Cossey says, "If he didn't have any experience, he probably did some awful maneuvers going out of that plane. I've seen jumpers spiral violently and never recover. I don't know if he would have even been able to regain his senses."

Also, Cooper wasn't wearing warm, protective clothing, goggles, a helmet, boots or gloves. He jumped in his business suit and slip-on loafers. The fact that he jumped in a suit and tie—but not the fact that he wore one—amazed investigators. In the 1970s, men and women dressed formally for air travel, and for Cooper to have done otherwise would certainly have aroused suspicion.

Cooper apparently planned the hijacking carefully, but it's not clear whether he carefully planned the jump and landing. Investigators concluded that Cooper hadn't pre-planned his exit spot, and Himmelsbach says, "It's unknown whether Cooper had survival gear, such as a knife, compass, food or matches, in his pockets."

Military experts advising Himmelsbach noted that a parachute alone is valuable as a survival tool, referring to a manual called "101 Uses of a Parachute for Survival." Other military specialists speculated that perhaps no parachute was found because Cooper buried his gear as soldiers are trained to do.

Effects on Air Travel

Hijackings during this era were common for political purposes, and sky marshals inconspicuously flew on many of the routes. But D.B. Cooper was the first to hijack an airliner for personal gain—and the first to actually make a parachute jump from a jet.

Others tried to copy his actions. According to Himmelsbach, "Half a dozen hijackers tried to pull off the same caper in the months following Cooper's extortion, but none got away with it. They either were killed in the jump, overpowered by crew or authorities or captured once on the ground."

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It was approximately 8:15 p.m., and the northwest was experiencing a heavy rain storm with occasional snow flurries, winds up to 80 knots and temperatures of 20 degrees at altitude. Cooper descended the lowered aircraft steps. He held onto the hand rails and stood on the stairs at 10,000 feet in the wind and rain for up to two minutes— BEFORE JUMPING INTO THE NIGHT.

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By 1970, pre-boarding screening had been in place in some airports for some airlines, but generally, as D.B. Cooper did, passengers simply walked up to the gate and boarded the aircraft with their carry-on luggage. The hijacking of Northwest Airlines flight 305 initiated mandatory FAA screening procedures, and at Himmelsbach's initiative, all aircraft with back staircases became equipped with a locking mechanism called the Cooper's Vain.

Agent Himmelsbach also initiated a regulation mandating that only FBI agents who are experienced pilots may interview hijacked airline pilots. The day of Himmelsbach's retirement, he learned that the plane actually drifted toward the east while the pilot flew it manually. The agent questioning the pilot at the time wasn't a pilot himself and did not pick up this information. Himmelsbach now believes that Cooper exited 40 miles east over Washougal, Washington, which prompted his rule.

Unsolved Mystery

Even with the intense media coverage and the enthusiastic public wanting to help, each and every suspect, lead, investigation and search led to a dead end. Months turned into years, and Himmelsbach and his team were no closer to finding out who D.B. Cooper was, his whereabouts or the result of the jump.

The largest and most significant piece of evidence in the D.B. Cooper mystery came in 1980, when a boy and his family digging a fire pit on the bank of the Columbia River uncovered 12 packets of deteriorated bills under three feet of wet sand. Geologists and hydrologists concluded that the money was deposited there by the river and had been in the sand for years. The $5,880 found matched the serial numbers of Cooper's cash, but the other 9,706 $20 bills remain unaccounted for.

The FBI continues to receive and investigate phone calls and leads regarding the case, and the file is literally ten feet long. Although Himmelsbach has retired from the FBI, he continues to give interviews to major magazines, newspapers and national and international television programs regarding the case.

The D.B. Cooper case is the only unsolved hijacking in the world. This infamous parachutist consumed Himmelsbach's professional and sometimes personal life for years. Ironically, he interacts with skydivers regularly now, as he hangars his 1952 Bonanza at Skydive Oregon. He says that pilots and skydivers have a lot in common and admits, "I've associated with a number of skydivers and have usually gotten along very well with them." Agent Himmelsbach even made a skydive once and says, "It was an enjoyable experience, but I prefer the power and control of an airplane."

As for the whereabouts of D.B. Cooper today—that unanswered question is what keeps the mystery alive.

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PARACHUTIST • NOVEMBER 2003 • 37 DB Cooper-33732