Mystery of DB Cooper

On November 24, 1971, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 took off from Portland to Seattle with 36 passengers and 6 crew members. Among them was a man identifying himself as Dan Cooper, who handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner claiming he had a bomb and demanded $200,000 and four parachutes.

Cooper’s calm appearance masked the tension onboard,as he instructed Schaffner and fellow flight attendant Tina Mucklow to relay his demands to the cockpit. The airlines president ,Donald Nyrop decided to completely followed his demands to safeguard the airlines reputation and prevent panic among the passengers

The pilots circled the plane over Seattle for hours as arrangements were made on the ground. Upon landing, Cooper secured the money and parachutes, releasing all passengers and flight attendants except for Mucklow. Refueling the aircraft, Cooper directed the pilots to fly towards Mexico City at low altitude and slow speed, under specific instructions.

What followed was a daring escape that baffled investigators and captivated the public. Cooper ordered Mucklow to go to cockpit and, alone on the plane, proceeded to strap on a parachute and lower the aft stairs. Despite nightfall and adverse conditions, he leapt into the darkness over the wilderness of Washington State, with a daring plan that seemed impossible to execute successfully.

The FBI launched an extensive manhunt, deploying resources and conducting searches that spanned decades. Despite finding traces like Cooper's tie, cigarette butts, and some of the ransom money along the Columbia River, no definitive evidence of his fate or identity surfaced. The investigation closed officially in 2016, leaving many questions unanswered.

The case of D.B. Cooper remains one of aviation's greatest mysteries, with his identity and fate unresolved to this day.