DB Cooper. Even if that name doesn't immediately ring a bell, the legend probably does:. It is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, a tale that has been hotly debated, researched, and endlessly speculated upon since that fateful day back in 1971. A man, using the alias "Dan Cooper," hijacked a commercial flight, demanded $200,000 in ransom, then parachuted out of the plane over the Pacific Northwest – never to be seen again. Sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller, right? Well, that was real life. And nearly 50 years later, the mystery still lingers: Who was DB Cooper, and where did he go?
The Heist
Let's go back to November 24, 1971. It was to be a routine flight from Portland to Seattle on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305. One man was calmly informing the flight attendant of his bomb in his briefcase. Flashes of wires and red sticks that appeared to be explosive enough, and what he wanted became crystal clear: $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck ready to refuel the plane in Seattle.
Astoundingly, his demands were met. The passengers had no idea of the unusual goings-on that were taking place. They were simply told there was a slight mechanical issue. Once the plane touched down in Seattle, Cooper permitted the passengers to exit the aircraft while keeping the flight crew along with several main personnel onboard.
With the ransom money and parachutes delivered, the plane took off again-again heading towards Mexico City. Somewhere over the thick forests of the Pacific Northwest, Cooper opened the plane's rear door and leaped into the night-cash in hand, parachute strapped on-and vanished.
The Investigation
Well, here's where things get really interesting. No sign of Cooper was ever found despite a massive search by the FBI and local law enforcement, even using military planes. The plane had been over rugged terrain-thick forests, rivers-but there was simply no body, no parachute, no money-nothing.
The local FBI agents were off searching everywhere, and following up on every single lead that came up for years. Every man who barely fit the profile was investigated: those with sudden lots of cash, acting suspiciously around the Pacific Northwest, or claiming to know something about the whereabouts of Cooper. None of the leads panned out.
A breakthrough seemed to appear in 1980 when a boy found $5,800 in decaying $20 bills near the Columbia River. The serial numbers matched the ransom money but again – no trace of Cooper. The rest of the money, like Cooper himself, was still missing.
The Theories
So, who was DB Cooper? Theories have swirled for decades, and some of them get pretty wild. Some believe he died in the jump-that he was an inexperienced parachutist who failed to account for the treacherous weather and the heavily wooded terrain. After all, jumping out of a plane in the dead of night when it's cold and when you can't see any landmarks below doesn't exactly scream safety or calculated escape.
Then, of course, there were theories that he had survived, blended into society after the heist of the century. Some even believe that Cooper was a former ex-military man; probably a former paratrooper who used his extensive training to make good his escape and live a quiet, low-profile life thereafter. Other speculations go that he may have received inside help, maybe from the airline or law enforcement itself, that helped him outsmart the large manhunt.
Over the years, several individuals have come forward claiming to be DB Cooper or claiming to know who he was. One of the more popular theories pins a man by the name of Robert Rackstraw-a former Army paratrooper with a shady past. Many point to his background and age, further citing even a physical resemblance to the sketch of Cooper. Despite this, no concrete evidence has ever tied Rackstraw-or anyone else for that matter-directly to the case.
The DB Cooper Legacy
The case was officially closed by the FBI in 2016, proclaiming defeat at solving the mystery. Yet DB Cooper has managed to stay alive as an icon in pop culture. He has been the main or partial subject of several documentaries, books, and a few films. In some sense, Cooper has become the epitome of some kind of American outlaw spirit-some guy who fought the system, got away, and then disappeared into thin air. It is certainly romanticized, but who doesn't love a good mystery?
After all is said and done, the question still remains: Where is DB Cooper today? Did he live to make the jump and live out his life in quiet obscurity under an assumed name, or was he to meet a more tragic end somewhere in that wilderness? While we may never know the whole truth of this matter, the DB Cooper story lives on, captivating the imagination-end. For now, the legend of DB Cooper lives on, floating somewhere between the clouds and the forest floor.
