DB Cooper: The Legend Lives On

INTRODUCTION
Almost 46 years have passed since the infamous ‘DB Cooper’ sky-jacked a plane before parachuting to an uncertain fate. All this time later, his legend lives on, and even to this day, there are new developments happening. Here is a look at the original event, and the developments that have taken place in the case up until this day.

1971 SKY-JACKING
On November 24 1971, a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon departed, bound for Seattle, Washington. Shortly after take-off, Cooper handed a flight attendant a written note. This note stated that Cooper had a bomb. He made ransom demands – four parachutes, arrangements for aircraft refuelling, and most importantly, $200,000 – equivalent to over $1.5m in 2017.

Passengers on board were told a minor mechanical difficulty would cause their arrival to be delayed. Meanwhile, after Cooper’s demands had reached the cockpit and beyond, the President of Northwest Orient Airlines agreed to the payment. 10,000 $20 notes were arranged for Cooper. Once the aircraft indeed arrived at Seattle, Cooper was handed the money, before other passengers and select crew were permitted to leave the aircraft.

A new flight course was set, before fighter aircraft’s were scrambled to follow the aircraft. Over five hours after setting off from Portland, Cooper eventually parachuted out of the aircraft, with his $200,000 in ransom money with him. Cooper has never ‘officially’ been seen or heard from since. There are, as will be discussed, a range of theories as to what happened to him.

INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS
Eyewitnesses and aircraft crew were questioned in the aftermath of the incident. Given the height of the aircraft, and uncertainty over the exact moment Cooper jumped, it was hard to trace his movements. There was no telling when Cooper pulled the cord on his parachute, which was a considerable variable in the landing zone for Cooper. Despite re-creations, thorough and extensive ground searches and intense field investigations, no trace of the sky-jacking was found whatsoever. Serial numbers of the ransom notes were released to the public, with rewards provided, yet again, the trail was cold.

1980: SOME NOTES FOUND
Brian Ingram, an 8-year old boy on vacation, found three packets of the ransom cash. The cash had fallen victim to wear and tear, but were confirmed to be a part of the ransom money. Unfortunately for investigators, this didn’t actually help proceedings – instead raising more questions. Various theories were put forth, however none proved conclusive. This finding left 9,710 bills somewhere in the world – all of this time on – they have never been seen.

2016: CASE SUSPENDED
In 2016, the case was eventually suspended by the FBI. An enormous amount of resources had been devoted to the case, which was unsustainable, especially given the lack of solid evidence in the case. This didn’t stop the intrigue over the case, which would eventually lead to the new hope that has recently been uncovered, potentially at least.

2017: NEW HOPE?
Tom Colbert – leader of a 40-strong cold case team, suggest they have confirmed the escape of Cooper. Their suggestion is that Cooper survived the jump, and got away with the help of three people. The suggestion is that Cooper is a man from San Diego, California, named Robert W. Rackstraw. Rackstraw is currently 73, and denies all allegations. Colbert’s logic comes from a conversation with an informant close to the case. Colbert’s suggestions detail how Cooper and his accomplices managed to supposedly get away with the crime. After reading in detail, there certainly appears to be logic behind the theory.

LEGACY
Airline travel changed forever as a result of the incident. All passengers would need to have their bags checked from 1973 onwards, while other additional safety measures were introduced. There was a considerable drop in hijackings as a result of these measures. All Boeing 727 aircraft – such as the one Cooper parachuted out of, would be fitted with a device that made it impossible to open the aft air-stair during a flight. Cooper has also appeared in popular culture – influencing storylines in many well-known TV series such as Numb3rs and, most famously – Prison Break.

CONCLUSION
While it is never a good thing to glorify a crime, there is a certain amount of respect that is due to Cooper for his efforts. There were several copycat crimes in the aftermath of this case, none of which had the same effect though. It is likely, despite the new allegations of Colbert’s investigation team, that the true identity of Cooper will never be known. Cooper by now would be in his seventies. If he is out there, he will no doubt be reflecting on a job well done. The mystery will continue.

(‘089’)
/MF/