INVESTIGATIVE CASE DOSSIER: THE D.B. COOPER SKYJACKING: THE 1971 FBI FLIGHT 305 INVESTIGATION & FORENSIC EVIDENCE
- Perpetrator: Unidentified male traveling under the alias ‘Dan Cooper’
- Historic Designation: The D.B. Cooper Skyjacking / FBI Case File: NORJAK (Northwest Hijacking)
- Date of Event: November 24, 1971 (Thanksgiving Eve)
- Flight Details: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 (Boeing 727; Portland to Seattle)
- Demands: $200,000 in negotiable twenty-dollar bills and four parachutes
- Escape: Parachuted from the aft stairs of the aircraft into storm clouds over Washington State
- Physical Evidence: Black clip-on tie, mother-of-pearl tie clip, 8 cigarette butts, 3 bundles of cash
- Investigation Status: Suspended active review in July 2016; Open historical cold case
On the rainy afternoon of November 24, 1971, a calm man wearing a business suit and dark sunglasses boarded Northwest Orient Flight 305 in Portland, Oregon, under the name ‘Dan Cooper.’ Mid-flight, he opened a briefcase revealing a bomb and demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. After releasing the 36 passengers in Seattle, Cooper ordered the Boeing 727 to fly toward Mexico—and parachuted into the freezing night sky over the dense forests of southwestern Washington, vanishing into history. Known globally as D.B. Cooper, the 1971 skyjacking remains the only unsolved case of commercial aviation piracy in world history.
The Hijacking of Flight 305: November 1971
Shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport, passenger Dan Cooper handed flight attendant Florence Schaffner a handwritten note stating he had a bomb in his briefcase. He demanded $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills and four parachutes to be delivered upon landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
In Seattle, federal authorities supplied the ransom money and parachutes, and Cooper allowed all 36 passengers to safely disembark. The aircraft refueled and took off toward Reno, Nevada, flying at low speed and low altitude. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, over the Lewis River basin in southwest Washington, Cooper lowered the plane’s aft stairs and leapt into a freezing 200 mph blizzard with the ransom cash tied around his waist.
The Massive FBI Search and Physical Evidence
The FBI launched ‘Operation NORJAK’, interviewing over 1,000 individuals and conducting extensive ground searches across Clark and Cowlitz counties. In the cabin, agents recovered Cooper’s black JCPenney clip-on tie, mother-of-pearl tie clip, and discarded Raleigh cigarette butts.
In 2011, forensic scientist Tom Kaye of the Citizen Sleuths research group analyzed the tie using scanning electron microscopy, identifying microscopic particles of unalloyed titanium, bismuth, and rare earth metals, suggesting Cooper worked in aerospace manufacturing (such as Boeing) or a chemical processing facility.
The 1980 Tena Bar Cash Discovery and Case Legacy
In February 1980, 8-year-old Brian Ingram was vacationing with his family along the Columbia River at Tena Bar, northwest of Vancouver, Washington, when he uncovered three decaying bundles containing $5,800 of the original Cooper ransom cash. Serial numbers matched FBI master records exactly.
In July 2016, the FBI officially suspended active daily review of the NORJAK investigation to prioritize higher-threat cases, preserving all physical evidence for future scientific breakthroughs.
Case Timeline & Key Forensic Milestones
| Date / Year | Milestone / Event | Forensic Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 1971 | Dan Cooper skyjacks Flight 305 | Parachutes over southwest Washington with $200,000 |
| Feb 1980 | $5,800 of ransom currency found on Tena Bar | Confirmed matching serial numbers |
| 2011 | Electron microscopy identifies titanium on tie | Aerospace background indicated |
| July 2016 | FBI suspends active field investigation | Evidence maintained in FBI vault |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Did D.B. Cooper survive the parachute jump?
The FBI concluded it was highly unlikely Cooper survived jumping into a freezing blizzard over rugged mountain terrain, although no body or parachute was ever recovered.
How much money did D.B. Cooper steal?
Cooper received $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills. In 1980, $5,800 of the cash was found buried in sand along the Columbia River.
Why did the FBI close the D.B. Cooper case?
In July 2016, the FBI suspended its active 45-year NORJAK investigation to redirect resources, though the case remains open to review if physical evidence or parachutes are found.
