On 24 November 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded Northwest Orient Flight 305 from Portland to Seattle. He claimed to have a bomb, demanded four parachutes and $200,000, then released the passengers after the aircraft landed in Seattle. During the next flight, he lowered the rear stairs and disappeared by parachute into the night.
Why It Mattered
The hijacking combined a daring escape with almost no confirmed account of what happened next. Despite an enormous FBI investigation, the man was never identified; a tie, ticket and part of the ransom money remain fragments of a case whose central figure simply vanished.
Flight 305
- The ticket was bought under the name Dan Cooper for a one-way Portland-to-Seattle flight.
- The demand was four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills.
The disappearance
- After the passengers were released, the aircraft departed Seattle with crew members still aboard.
- Cooper left the rear of the aircraft after 8 p.m. somewhere between Seattle and Reno; the pilots landed safely.
NORJAK evidence
- The FBI examined the aircraft, tracked nationwide leads and considered more than 800 suspects by the fifth anniversary.
- $5,800 found in 1980 matched the ransom serial numbers.
- The press-created initials 'D.B.' were not the name used to buy the ticket.
Associated With
Unknown individual using the name Dan Cooper - associated person or organisation not established
Defining Feature
A hijacker exchanged passengers for $200,000 and four parachutes before leaving the aircraft in flight
Status
Unresolved - Identity and fate unresolved; the FBI redirected active resources in July 2016
- All one image sources are not yet verified — editorial review required.
Rights Notice
Images are included for historical and archival reference.
Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.
AP Photo; reproduced by The Oregonian / OregonLive; individual photographer not named.
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
Investigators consult a map during the D. B. Cooper search, a reminder that the enduring legend began as a practical effort to trace a hijacker's escape.
