The Unsolved D. B. Cooper Hijacking

On November 24, 1971, a quiet man using the name Dan Cooper bought a one-way

ticket for a short Northwest Orient flight from Portland to Seattle. He looked ordinary—mid-40s,

neat suit, tie clip. He ordered a bourbon and soda. Nothing about him

stood out. Then, minutes after takeoff, he handed a flight attendant a note.

At first she ignored it, thinking it was a phone number. Cooper leaned closer

and said calmly, “You should read that. I have a bomb.” Inside his briefcase

were wires and red cylinders. Whether it was real didn’t matter—everyone believed him.

Cooper demanded $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and a fuel truck waiting in Seattle.