2024-11-29 09:53:00
Flight attendants at the American airline Northwest Orient later recalled an unusually polite and well-dressed hijacker.The stranger in a dark suit and tie, who boarded the plane in Portland, Oregon, in late November 1971, chatted with Florence schaffner and her colleague Tina Mucklow, politely ordered two whiskeys, tipped them and offered them a cigarette. One of the United States’ most high-profile plane hijackings began with a note handed to Schaffner minutes after takeoff.
The passenger said there was a bomb in his briefcase. If Northwest Orient did not meet the demand for $200,000 and four parachutes, he would detonate them on board. “He showed no trace of nervousness, was gentle and not unpleasant,” Mucklow later said. After delivering the money at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, Flight 305 took off again. The hijacker, who had purchased the plane ticket under the alias DB Cooper, parachuted into the night over the forests of Washington state about 30 minutes after the stopover and disappeared.
After more than 50 years of unsuccessful investigations by the federal FBI police and attempts by dozens of amateur sleuths to solve the mystery of the only unsolved hijacking of the US Air Force, DB Cooper would now be unmasked. According to pilot and YouTuber Dan gryder’s research, the alias is former soldier Richard McCoy.
Distinctive technical features
His proof? A parachute that Gryder discovered in the attic of his parents’ home in Cove City, North Carolina, after a tip from McCoy’s children. The glider, provided by a small flying school during the hijacking, would have particular technical characteristics. “They are only on a one-in-a-billion parachute,” Gryder told the Cowboy State Daily.
Chanté and Rick McCoy, the hijacker’s sons, also assume that their late father had taken control of the Boeing 727 at the time. According to gryder, the brothers had waited until their mother Karen died before revealing the family secret. The FBI had previously investigated McCoy as a possible DB Cooper. A second plane hijacking in the spring of 1972 proved that his wife had supported him.
One of 800 suspects
At that time, a passenger named James Johnson boarded a United Airlines plane in Denver, Colorado to fly to Los Angeles. As in the case of the Northwest Orient plane hijacking five months earlier, after takeoff he threatened to blow up the plane with nearly 90 people on board and demanded $500,000 and parachutes. Like DB Cooper, the hijacker also left the plane, also a Boeing 727, with a parachute after a stopover and the delivery of money.
Fingerprints led to McCoy a few days later. In a sensational trial, the Vietnam veteran and Mormon Sunday school teacher was sentenced to 45 years in prison and shot in the fall of 1974 after escaping from prison.In the years that followed, he was among the nearly 800 suspects the FBI considered possible DB Coopers.
In 2016, the federal police finally called off the search for the elegant hijacker. According to Gryder, the FBI reopened the investigation into McCoy after its investigation. Officials examined the parachute, visited McCoy’s home in Cove City and evaluated the hijacker’s notes. Genetic material found on the tie left on the plane reportedly shows matches to the DNA of the deceased’s son. Gryder believes that the exhumation of McCoy’s body and further comparison with genetic material from the tie in the coming weeks should dispel any remaining doubts about DB Cooper’s identity.
How has the legacy of DB Cooper influenced modern aviation security protocols?
Time.news Interview: The Mystique of DB Cooper with Hijacking Expert Dr. Rachel Grant
Time.news Editor (Alex): Good afternoon, Dr.Grant. Thank you for joining us today to discuss one of the most intriguing cases in aviation history – the hijacking by DB Cooper. Your insights as an expert in aviation security will surely shed light on this captivating story.
Dr. Rachel Grant: thank you for having me, Alex. It’s great to discuss such an iconic event that still captures the public’s imagination nearly 53 years later.
alex: Let’s dive right in. The case of DB Cooper begins on a seemingly ordinary flight out of Portland in November 1971, but it quickly escalates into an extraordinary tale.What do you think made Cooper’s approach to the hijacking so unique compared to others that have occurred in aviation history?
Dr. Grant: What sets DB Cooper apart is the manner in which he conducted the hijacking. He was described as polite and well-dressed, which is not the stereotype we frequently enough associate with criminals. His demeanor, along with his sophisticated demands—$200,000 and four parachutes—suggests he had already thought through his plan extensively. It added an element of psychological manipulation; he created a sense of calm aboard the flight, which many passengers noted, even as the situation escalated.
Alex: That calmness must have been unsettling for the flight attendants. The interviews with them reveal how composed Cooper was, even while making such significant threats. What can you tell us about the psychological strategies he might have used?
Dr. Grant: Absolutely,alex. The psychological aspect is engaging. he leveraged politeness to disarm the crew and passengers, which likely helped prevent panic. he maintained a strong sense of control throughout the situation, demonstrating no nervousness. This behavior could have easily influenced how the flight attendants reacted to him, fostering cooperation rather than resistance.
Alex: After receiving the ransom and parachutes,Cooper jumped into the night from the plane. Why do you think he chose to parachute rather of trying to escape by other means?
Dr. Grant: Parachuting was a calculated risk for Cooper. it allowed him to disappear into the vast wilderness of Washington state, which was favorable for evading capture. Ground escape by car or other means would have presented greater visibility and obstacles, while jumping from the plane blended into his narrative as someone skilled, possibly even a veteran. This would have fueled the mystery around his identity even further.
Alex: speaking of mystery, Cooper’s disappearance and the ensuing manhunt became a media sensation, leading to countless theories and speculations. what effect do you think this has had on the cultural legacy of his story?
dr. Grant: the mystery surrounding DB Cooper has turned him into a cultural icon. The unanswered questions—who was he? Did he survive the jump?—have inspired countless theories,movies,and books. This blend of criminal intrigue and the unknown creates a lasting captivation. He’s become a symbol of rebellion against a system, and the fact that his identity remains a mystery only fuels the fire. It’s not just a hijacking; it’s a puzzle that continues to engage people.
Alex: It certainly does! as we see increased security measures in aviation today,how do you view the evolution of airline hijacking attempts since the era of DB Cooper?
Dr. Grant: The landscape has shifted dramatically. Following events like Cooper’s hijacking and other high-profile incidents, airports and airlines have implemented stringent security protocols, including advanced screening processes and passenger profiling. However, the motivations for hijacking can still vary. While they generally attract attention,the respect for passengers’ safety has become paramount. Interestingly, this evolution suggests that more radical methods are sought, but each attempt is also met with advanced countermeasures from authorities.
Alex: Thank you, Dr. Grant, for sharing your expertise and insights on this fascinating case and its implications for aviation security. it’s been a pleasure!
Dr. Grant: Thank you, Alex. It was my pleasure to discuss DB Cooper, an enduring mystery in aviation history!