Well, he got away with it...
July 13, 2016 9:26 AM Subscribe
The FBI has officially given up on trying to figure out what happened to "Dan Cooper" (a.k.a. "D.B. Cooper"), ending the investigation after 16,303 days.
An FBI spokeswoman said, "Unfortunately, none of the well-meaning tips or applications of new investigative technology have yielded the necessary proof."
On November 24th, 1971, a man using the alias "Dan Cooper" hijacked a Northwest Orient Boeing 727 between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. He demanded $200,000 and several parachutes, then asked to be flown to Mexico. The airline acceded to his demands, but "Cooper" jumped out of the aircraft with one of the parachutes somewhere north of Portland. Some of the money was recovered in 1980. The FBI has long argued that "Cooper" did not survive the jump.
Theories of "Cooper"'s true identity have been floated ever since the hijacking (including that Don Draper of Mad Men would be revealed as the hijacker, which was denied in advance of the series finale by creator Matthew Weiner), but no one has ever been arrested in connection with the case.
An FBI spokeswoman said, "Unfortunately, none of the well-meaning tips or applications of new investigative technology have yielded the necessary proof."
On November 24th, 1971, a man using the alias "Dan Cooper" hijacked a Northwest Orient Boeing 727 between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. He demanded $200,000 and several parachutes, then asked to be flown to Mexico. The airline acceded to his demands, but "Cooper" jumped out of the aircraft with one of the parachutes somewhere north of Portland. Some of the money was recovered in 1980. The FBI has long argued that "Cooper" did not survive the jump.
Theories of "Cooper"'s true identity have been floated ever since the hijacking (including that Don Draper of Mad Men would be revealed as the hijacker, which was denied in advance of the series finale by creator Matthew Weiner), but no one has ever been arrested in connection with the case.
I remember this story as being part of the Time-Life's Mysteries of the Unexplained volume that was practically my childhood Bible. I'd agree that he more than likely did not survive jumping out of the airplane on such a cold windy night, but have got nothing as to why a body was never found.
posted by Kitteh at 9:36 AM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 9:36 AM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
From the FBI.gov link - could FBI Special Agent Larry Carr possibly look any more like an FBI Special Agent named Larry Carr? I hope he gets to play himself in the movie.
posted by something something at 9:39 AM on July 13, 2016 [20 favorites]
posted by something something at 9:39 AM on July 13, 2016 [20 favorites]
Guys, guys, it's well known he was found that night, injured and unconscious, by a family of sasquatch. Presumably they cared for him until he succumbed to his injuries.
posted by mwhybark at 9:43 AM on July 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
posted by mwhybark at 9:43 AM on July 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
So it's safe to say now? I'm him. I won! I won I won I won!
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:46 AM on July 13, 2016 [19 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:46 AM on July 13, 2016 [19 favorites]
They named him Graa'rrg and gave him a decent Sasquatch burial. The children had a fine time with his bale of little papers, and they figured he would have wanted it that way.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:46 AM on July 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:46 AM on July 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
Did you know Sasquatch Vs. DB Cooper was a film, or is that weird synchronicity?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:47 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:47 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
So it's safe to say now? I'm him. I won! I won I won I won!
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:46 PM on July 13 [+] [!]
I am shocked -- shocked -- to hear that.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:47 AM on July 13, 2016 [36 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:46 PM on July 13 [+] [!]
I am shocked -- shocked -- to hear that.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:47 AM on July 13, 2016 [36 favorites]
From the FBI.gov link - could FBI Special Agent Larry Carr possibly look any more like an FBI Special Agent named Larry Carr? I hope he gets to play himself in the movie.
Failing that, can we cast Henry Rollins?
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
Failing that, can we cast Henry Rollins?
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
I always get this guy mixed up with DB Sweeney, and it makes for some confusing news articles.
posted by mittens at 9:49 AM on July 13, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by mittens at 9:49 AM on July 13, 2016 [16 favorites]
People just sort of wanted to believe he got away and lived happily ever after as a kind of wish fulfillment thing. He died, though, and animals scattered his remains.
And that FBI guy looks like Henry Rollins. UGH FAINT OF BUTT. NO FAIR.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:50 AM on July 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
And that FBI guy looks like Henry Rollins. UGH FAINT OF BUTT. NO FAIR.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:50 AM on July 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
I guess the FBI doesn't watch Prison Break...
posted by Dalby at 9:51 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Dalby at 9:51 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm just surprised that the OP didn't write this post in the form of a poem.
posted by eisenkrote at 9:52 AM on July 13, 2016
posted by eisenkrote at 9:52 AM on July 13, 2016
Quitters.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:00 AM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 10:00 AM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
I still say Don Draper really was going to be revealed as Dan (D.B.) Cooper, but too many people figured out that's where it was headed and they switched it to him making the Coke commercial instead.
That's my inconsequential conspiracy theory, and I'm sticking to it.
posted by yhbc at 10:02 AM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
That's my inconsequential conspiracy theory, and I'm sticking to it.
posted by yhbc at 10:02 AM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
The truth is out there. Give it to Mulder, he's got a new season coming out in 2017, right?
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:04 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:04 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
When I was a kid we rented from the video store "The Pursuit of DB Cooper" and "Hooper" on the same weekend, and now I always imagine that DB Cooper looks like a shirtless Burt Reynolds driving a pickup truck out of an airplane while Sally Field and Jan-Michael Vincent look on.
posted by My Dad at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by My Dad at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
I also think he didn't survive the jump and is at the bottom of a body of water or buried under St. Helens or scattered around where it wouldn't be likely that anybody would know what they're looking at if they did find something. How are we so sure he jumped in just his suit? He was alone in the back of the plane for a fair amount of time. He could have easily had 10 layers of clothes and something to put over his face/head. Either already on him or in the briefcase.
It's one of those stories I like to dig into every once in a while but I mostly hope we never know the whole truth.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2016
It's one of those stories I like to dig into every once in a while but I mostly hope we never know the whole truth.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2016
Enter Tom Kaye, a paleontologist who usually searches for dinosaur bones in the Wyoming desert. With a team that included a scientific illustrator and a metallurgist, and assistance from a veteran Cooper searcher and Brian Ingram—who was eight years old in 1980 when he found $5,800 of the ransom money on a sand bar along the Columbia River
This just sounds like an awesome team and they should continue to have adventures together trying to solve other mysteries.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2016 [48 favorites]
This just sounds like an awesome team and they should continue to have adventures together trying to solve other mysteries.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2016 [48 favorites]
I still say Don Draper really was going to be revealed as Dan (D.B.) Cooper, but too many people figured out that's where it was headed and they switched it to him making the Coke commercial instead.
I assume that D.B. Cooper made the Coke commercial and the Mad Men producers figured it out.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2016 [12 favorites]
I assume that D.B. Cooper made the Coke commercial and the Mad Men producers figured it out.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:13 AM on July 13, 2016 [12 favorites]
Is it safe to assume that all the serial numbers of the bills were recorded before giving them to Cooper or that they were all marked in some way? Is that how they knew that the bills the boy found in 1981 were from the hijacking? If so, has there ever been another report of one or more of those bills turning up anywhere in circulation?
posted by AugustWest at 10:14 AM on July 13, 2016
posted by AugustWest at 10:14 AM on July 13, 2016
it's well known he was found that night, injured and unconscious, by a family of sasquatch. Presumably they cared for him until he succumbed to his injuries.
For a more optimistic take on that theory, look up "Whiteman Meets Bigfoot" by R. Crumb [super-NSFW, and not really about D.B. Cooper, but still].
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:25 AM on July 13, 2016
For a more optimistic take on that theory, look up "Whiteman Meets Bigfoot" by R. Crumb [super-NSFW, and not really about D.B. Cooper, but still].
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:25 AM on July 13, 2016
The agency has poured over the legendary theft ever since a frigid night on Nov. 24, 1971, when passenger Dan Cooper flashed what appeared to be a bomb, donned a parachute and leaped from the Northwest Orient Airlines plane to Seattle with a bag with $200,000 in stolen cash.Dear New York Daily News:
I am available for freelance copy editing at competitive rates. Please memail me.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:26 AM on July 13, 2016 [62 favorites]
According to the ravens and coyotes that inhabit that wilderness a body matching DB Cooper's description hit the forrest canopy at terminal velocity and his frozen body provided needed calories to many of those lucky enough to hear the racket and brave enough to investigate. The story has been passed down through generations and during periods of hunger they will look to the sky and hope for another gift from the heavens.
posted by humanfont at 10:26 AM on July 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by humanfont at 10:26 AM on July 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
Is it safe to assume that all the serial numbers of the bills were recorded before giving them to Cooper or that they were all marked in some way?
They were unmarked and non-sequential but each was photographed and put on microfilm before the delivery. The full list of serials was made available over time so people could look for the bills. No other bills were ever positively identified but there was a thing where a TV news group was bilked out for $30,000 because someone made counterfeits that matched the serials of some bills.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:28 AM on July 13, 2016
They were unmarked and non-sequential but each was photographed and put on microfilm before the delivery. The full list of serials was made available over time so people could look for the bills. No other bills were ever positively identified but there was a thing where a TV news group was bilked out for $30,000 because someone made counterfeits that matched the serials of some bills.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:28 AM on July 13, 2016
Oh I do wish we were in an alternate Earth timeline where Mad Men had gone out in the most Archeresque way possible.
And then ruined it all in the final shot by zomming out from Don Draper's face to reveal he's a lumberjack.
posted by sektah at 10:28 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
And then ruined it all in the final shot by zomming out from Don Draper's face to reveal he's a lumberjack.
posted by sektah at 10:28 AM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, I agree that there's something very Rollinsesque about Larry Carr, but there's also something about Carr's expression that says, "I will never tell the world this, but Cooper is my dad."
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
Sorry, not TV news. Newsweek reporter Karl Fleming paid the $30,000 for an interview because of the counterfeits.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2016
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2016
Thanks to Skyrim, I've become sort of an expert regarding the behavior of falling bodies. I suspect the investigators failed to account for the epic bounce that would have occurred from a fall from that height.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:34 AM on July 13, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:34 AM on July 13, 2016 [7 favorites]
Of all the pop culture DB Coopers (Leverage also did an episode about him) my favorite remains the Newsradio arc, which culminated in the immortal question, "Are you Doobie Keebler?" (and the revelation that the real DB Cooper was a well known celebrity).
posted by julen at 10:42 AM on July 13, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by julen at 10:42 AM on July 13, 2016 [9 favorites]
Wait a minute, I thought we all knew it was Jimmy James.
posted by praemunire at 10:55 AM on July 13, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 10:55 AM on July 13, 2016 [9 favorites]
According to the ravens and coyotes that inhabit that wilderness...
The ravens, of course, took the money as part of their share, invested it, and now have controlling shares in most of our financial institutions, which they mess with, for fun.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:35 AM on July 13, 2016 [10 favorites]
The ravens, of course, took the money as part of their share, invested it, and now have controlling shares in most of our financial institutions, which they mess with, for fun.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:35 AM on July 13, 2016 [10 favorites]
Own his own throne, the boss like King Koopa
On the microphone he flossed the ring "Super!"
Average emcees is like a TV blooper
MF DOOM, he's like D.B. Cooper
posted by Theiform at 12:23 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
On the microphone he flossed the ring "Super!"
Average emcees is like a TV blooper
MF DOOM, he's like D.B. Cooper
posted by Theiform at 12:23 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm D. B. Cooper, and so is my wife!
posted by Western Infidels at 12:30 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Western Infidels at 12:30 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's a good mystery story.
He may have died on impact. But it sounds like the area was combed through pretty thoroughly. I mean they even turned up the body of a murdered girl and a Native American skeleton. And submarines for the lakes.
As for the money, it sounds like there's no good theory of how it got there naturally. Bills were missing. Packets were together that should have drifted apart.
I think he survived the landing and then started to hike out of there. He made it farther than anyone is giving him credit for (he sounds like he was a focused, determined guy) but eventually succumbed. So his body is out there but much farther out than anyone thought possible.
posted by vacapinta at 12:31 PM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
He may have died on impact. But it sounds like the area was combed through pretty thoroughly. I mean they even turned up the body of a murdered girl and a Native American skeleton. And submarines for the lakes.
As for the money, it sounds like there's no good theory of how it got there naturally. Bills were missing. Packets were together that should have drifted apart.
I think he survived the landing and then started to hike out of there. He made it farther than anyone is giving him credit for (he sounds like he was a focused, determined guy) but eventually succumbed. So his body is out there but much farther out than anyone thought possible.
posted by vacapinta at 12:31 PM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
I am available for freelance copy editing at competitive rates. Please memail me.
Minus the sunk costs, you'll never be cheaper than the robot that wrote this.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:31 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Minus the sunk costs, you'll never be cheaper than the robot that wrote this.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:31 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Did you know Sasquatch Vs. DB Cooper was a film, or is that weird synchronicity?
Well, I did say it was well-known.
no, I had no idea
posted by mwhybark at 1:11 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Well, I did say it was well-known.
no, I had no idea
posted by mwhybark at 1:11 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
So it's safe to say now? I'm him. I won! I won I won I won!
posted by Capt. Renault
Eh bien, you were not amongst the usual suspects.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:15 PM on July 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault
Eh bien, you were not amongst the usual suspects.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:15 PM on July 13, 2016 [3 favorites]
I watched all of Mad Men and never understood where the DB Cooper thing came from. There is literally nothing in the series to even possibly suggest that. Seeing this "theory" pop up was like seeing people speculate whether Don Draper would turn out to be the Easter Bunny.
It seems to boil down to "planes existed in the 50s-70s, and some of the characters on Mad Men occasionally rode on them or referenced them."
Next up: Could Don Draper be Racer X from Speed Racer? He was often seen in cars and sometimes talked about them.
posted by Sangermaine at 1:57 PM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
It seems to boil down to "planes existed in the 50s-70s, and some of the characters on Mad Men occasionally rode on them or referenced them."
Next up: Could Don Draper be Racer X from Speed Racer? He was often seen in cars and sometimes talked about them.
posted by Sangermaine at 1:57 PM on July 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
DID COOPER MEET LYNCH ON THE TARMAC
TREY GOUDY VOWS TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH
posted by klangklangston at 2:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
TREY GOUDY VOWS TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH
posted by klangklangston at 2:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
This just sounds like an awesome team and they should continue to have adventures together trying to solve other mysteries.
But their every step is dogged by an Evil team, bankrolled by an unscrupulous billionaire, consisting of a bounty hunter, a poacher, an art thief, and a sadistic astronomer.
posted by Iridic at 2:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
But their every step is dogged by an Evil team, bankrolled by an unscrupulous billionaire, consisting of a bounty hunter, a poacher, an art thief, and a sadistic astronomer.
posted by Iridic at 2:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
I don't understand how there is any question as to his death seeing as how he choose a dummy parachute and jumped with a dummy parachute. Like...doesn't that sort of preclude any discussion of whether or not he survived? Shouldn't this whole story be "Debonaire Aeroburglar jumps from crimescene with non-functional parachute...body not yet found." Or am I missing something?
posted by jnnla at 2:22 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jnnla at 2:22 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ok..nm...he jumped with two chutes...one of which was a dummy. He yet lives.
posted by jnnla at 2:24 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jnnla at 2:24 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
If CNN was around at that time they would have done a feature where they questioned if he disappeared into a spontaneous black fucking hole for Christ's sake.
posted by juiceCake at 2:25 PM on July 13, 2016
posted by juiceCake at 2:25 PM on July 13, 2016
My compliments to Wikipedia for this charming gif illustration of Cooper's jump.
posted by Iridic at 2:44 PM on July 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by Iridic at 2:44 PM on July 13, 2016 [15 favorites]
If CNN was around at that time they would have done a feature where they questioned if he disappeared into a spontaneous black fucking hole for Christ's sake.
Just imagine what would have happened with Geraldo:
"Hey, I know that thing with Capone's vault didn't work out, but did you hear about this Cooper thing?"
posted by nubs at 3:10 PM on July 13, 2016
Just imagine what would have happened with Geraldo:
"Hey, I know that thing with Capone's vault didn't work out, but did you hear about this Cooper thing?"
posted by nubs at 3:10 PM on July 13, 2016
Did a Ctrl-F for Doobie Keebler. Was not disappointed.
posted by frogmanjack at 3:24 PM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by frogmanjack at 3:24 PM on July 13, 2016 [5 favorites]
Minus the sunk costs, you'll never be cheaper than the robot that wrote this.
I am no Turing test expert, but I figure zeugmas are beyond the reach of your Copy-O-Tron.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:21 PM on July 13, 2016
I am no Turing test expert, but I figure zeugmas are beyond the reach of your Copy-O-Tron.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:21 PM on July 13, 2016
I don't think "he died" solves any mystery at all. The money was never found, except a small part of it that turned up somewhere else, which means that it's not sitting rotting next to his parachute and body. So someone knows what happened, probably several people. And "who was he" is still interesting.
posted by bongo_x at 5:41 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bongo_x at 5:41 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
The agency has poured over the legendary theft ever since a frigid night on Nov. 24, 1971, when passenger Dan Cooper flashed what appeared to be a bomb, donned a parachute and leaped from the Northwest Orient Airlines plane to Seattle with a bag with $200,000 in stolen cash.
If only the FBI had thought to look in Seattle!
posted by Dip Flash at 7:11 PM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
If only the FBI had thought to look in Seattle!
posted by Dip Flash at 7:11 PM on July 13, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm amazed they were *still* looking. Still? Hell yeah, that money should be going to other stuff!
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:21 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:21 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nobody knows whether he actually had a bomb or whether it was recovered. Other than the note that the stewardness was shown something she believed to be a bomb, the whereabouts or nature of the bomb receive no further mention in any publicly available material.
posted by anazgnos at 8:08 PM on July 13, 2016
posted by anazgnos at 8:08 PM on July 13, 2016
If he landed in the water his body would never have been found and the money could have hung up on a bar or the bank and only moved again in a later flood. Unfortunately, I think there is no super cool secret ending here.
posted by fshgrl at 11:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 11:08 PM on July 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
At my coming of age my father told me that D.B. Cooper sleeps yet under the hills of Kentucky. He will return in the nation's hour of greatest need, to take his place alongside Paul Bunyan and George Washington and reign in glory for ever and ever.
posted by No-sword at 3:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by No-sword at 3:01 AM on July 14, 2016 [6 favorites]
So what I'm saying is he's down there looking at newspapers, calling Ben Franklin to ask do you think it's their hour of greatest need yet? Because if Trump... wait, there was another shooting while I was talking to you. Yeah, turn on CNN. Sooooo...
posted by No-sword at 3:04 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by No-sword at 3:04 AM on July 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Of all the pop culture DB Coopers (Leverage also did an episode about him) my favorite remains the Newsradio arc, which culminated in the immortal question, "Are you Doobie Keebler?" (and the revelation that the real DB Cooper was a well known celebrity).
Thank you! This is always what I instantly think of as well when this comes up.
posted by not that girl at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2016
Thank you! This is always what I instantly think of as well when this comes up.
posted by not that girl at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2016
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I've got a pretty solid guess what happened to him.
It is a great article though, in how it recaps the myth and the years of investigation.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:34 AM on July 13, 2016 [23 favorites]