Perhaps the most notorious hijacker in the world is a man who went by the name of D.B. Cooper. He hijacked a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 on 24 November 1971, and despite an extensive investigation was never found.
The way he managed to escape has become a bit of a legend. It also resulted in Boeing having to change the design of their Boeing 727 aircraft to prevent it happening again.
The Hijack
Northwest Airlines flight 305 was a short sector from Portland to Seattle. D.B. Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant and showed her a bomb that he had. Once this was communicated to the flight deck, they radioed ahead and the ransom demand of $200,000 in cash, four parachutes and refueling of the aircraft was agreed to.
The Hijacker Escapes!
Mr. Cooper asked the pilots to fly the aircraft at 10,000 feet with flaps and landing gear deployed. He also asked that they fly at the minimum airspeed required to stay in the air, with the cabin unpressurised.
Boeing Change The Boeing 727 Design
In 1972, the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that aircraft with rear airstairs be fitted with a device to prevent the stairs being opened inflight. This came to be known as a Cooper Vane.
D.B. Cooper Pops Up In Breaking Bad
One of the funniest characters in Breaking Bad is Saul Goodman. In one episode, Walter White enters Saul’s office and wittily the lawyer proclaims, “Should I call the FBI and tell them I’ve found D.B. Cooper?”
Overall Thoughts
Some of the ransom money was discovered by a boy at the Columbia River in 1980, but no trace of the rest of the money or the hijacker was ever found. The FBI never found the man or uncovered his real identity, as he purchased the flight ticket at the airport with cash before boarding.
Whether he landed successfully or not, nobody knows. None of the cash went into circulation, so speculation remains to this day. It is one of those mysteries that may never be solved.
Did you know that Boeing had to change the design of the 727 due to a hijacker? Do you remember the story? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image via Yesterday’s Airlines.
DB Cooper sketches via The New York Times.
Boeing 727 Airstairs image via Flickr.
Cooper Vane by Tank67 via Wikimedia Commons.
Breaking Bad still via Yarn.
D.B. Cooper was actually the name of a suspect that was later questioned. A local newspaper heard about it and erroneously printed that name on its headline, and that’s why many know him as D.B. Cooper. The alias he used was just Dan Cooper.
Interestingly; Cooper told the pilots he knew that the plane was actually capable of safely rotating on takeoff with the aft stairs deployed, which is an incredibly specific piece of information that, at the time, was only known to the CIA who had purchased (3) 727’s for this exact purpose. Unlike military aircraft, passenger airplanes could fly virtually anywhere without raising red flags, and so the CIA began using their small fleet of 727’s for undercover airdrops. This coincidence suggests that Cooper was ex-Cia, got burned, and attempted to flee with a retirement egg and a final middle finger as well. No fewer than 15 people attempted this the following year and were all immediately caught. I suspect Cooper was also caught, but by his ex-colleagues, and never saw the inside of a cell.
Interesting information there, thank you for that. I do recall reading about the Dan / D.B. mix up. The whole thing is a pretty cool mystery. One has to wonder what really happened and whether we will ever find out what really happened. Thanks for all of that! Good info.
Wasn’t aware the DC9/MD90 had a back stairway until I flew on a special SAS “last flight” and we utilized it. I did know that the BAC100 had one, having built a British model kit of one back in the early 60s as a young lad.
I only really knew about the DC-9 from a safety card I once saw. I knew the BAC One-Eleven had one. I guess they don’t have them any longer as they probably add weight to the aircraft… and of course, rear engines are rare enough too these days.
The 727 was such a distinctive (and successful) aircraft design. Three engines all grouped together near the T-tail, with a built-in rear stairway.
And ‘Better Call Saul’ resumes Sunday night!
Used throughout most of the world, it was certainly popular! Oh, I’m already waiting on Better Call Saul returning. Great show!