D.B. Cooper — Only Unsolved Aircraft Hijacking in US History

On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper purchased a ticket under that name and boarded a Northwest Orient flight from Portland to Seattle. During the flight he handed a note to a flight attendant claiming to have a bomb, demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes, and negotiated the release of the passengers in exchange for the money. He then jumped from the rear stairs of the Boeing 727 somewhere over the Cascade Mountains of Washington State and was never seen again. The FBI launched one of the longest investigations in its history. Hundreds of suspects were investigated. No definitive match was ever found for the partial fingerprints and physical description provided by flight crew. In 1980, an 8-year-old boy found a small bundle of $20 bills on the banks of the Columbia River that matched the serial numbers of the ransom money — but no other money or physical evidence has ever surfaced. The method of the hijacking showed knowledge of aircraft systems — specifically the Boeing 727's aft airstairs, which can be opened in flight — that suggested either aviation industry experience or careful research. The night, the weather, and the terrain into which Cooper jumped were extremely hostile; many investigators believe he died in the jump or shortly after. The case was officially closed in 2016, though it was reopened in 2021 following new information. D.B. Cooper's true identity and fate remain the only unsolved commercial airline hijacking in US history and have spawned dozens of suspects, several hoaxes, and a permanent place in American crime mythology.