D. B. Cooper Revisited

By Tim Holland

The crime may have occurred 37 years ago but that doesn’t mean the FBI is going to give up. With everything else that is going on in the world, the Bureau doesn’t have the case on the front burner but it’s still active and Seattle Special Agent Larry Carr is still investigating new leads.

Who is D. B. Cooper and what did he do? In 1971 a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked a plane in the Northwest and demanded $200,000 cash and four parachutes. While in mid flight between Seattle and Portland, wearing a raincoat and loafers, he took the $200,000 and two of the parachutes, jumped from the plane in the middle of a rain storm and has not been seen since.

What are some of the pieces of information they have learned over the 37 years:

He called himself Dan (not D. B.) Cooper. The D. B. comes from an inaccuracy in a news story about the hijacking and has stuck with the case.

Dan Cooper is the name of a fictional Royal Canadian Air Force test pilot who was the hero of a French comic book series that was popular at the time of the hijacking.

Cooper was described by flight attendants as being 40ish, five feet ten to six feet tall and weighing between 170 and 180 pounds.

In 1980 $5,800 of the money was found by an eight year old boy who was fishing along the Columbia River.

Why has the interest come to the surface again? Technology. Investigative techniques that were not available in 1971 are now being put to work. Also, the case has never truly disappeared from view. Cooper has achieved almost cult status and has become a major hobby for many people.

According to the FBI, Tom Kaye, a paleontologist, has put together a volunteer team of scientific investigators who are reviewing the evidence that has been found (a tie Cooper left behind in the plane before he jumped, the money and wrapper that was found and some of the material he touched, such as the two parachutes he left behind).

Special Agent Carr is the only FBI person officially assigned to the case as one of his duties and he’s not bashful about asking for help. “The FBI threw out the challenge,” said Tom Kaye, according to a recent FBI report, “and we’ve taken the bait.”

“So if the public can help, by whatever means, maybe we can shake something loose,” said Agent Carr.

If you think you have any information on Cooper or possibly offer some scientific and technical assistance that could be of help, the FBI would like to hear from you and suggests you e-mail their Seattle field office at Seattle.FBI@ic.fbi.gov.