Quick Facts:
Location: Skyjacked over southwestern Washington/Oregon border | Date: November 24, 1971 | Status: Unsolved — case suspended by FBI in 2016 | Ransom: $200,000 in unmarked bills, never fully recovered
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirms that the 1971 hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in U.S. commercial aviation history. The suspect, who identified himself as "Dan Cooper," extorted $200,000 in ransom, parachuted from the aircraft over the Pacific Northwest, and has not been identified or located in more than fifty years, according to FBI case records.
The case, codenamed NORJAK by federal investigators, was formally suspended in July 2016 after 45 years of active investigation involving more than 1,000 suspects. No arrest has been made. No body has been recovered. The identity of the hijacker remains officially unknown.
What Happened
According to FBI accounts and airline records, a man purchased a one-way ticket under the name Dan Cooper for Northwest Orient Flight 305 from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, on November 24, 1971. He was described in FBI reports as being in his mid-forties, of average build, and dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, thin black tie, and sunglasses. He paid in cash and took seat 18C.
Shortly after takeoff, Cooper passed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner stating that he was carrying a bomb. When Schaffner examined his briefcase at his instruction, she reported seeing wires and cylindrical objects consistent with an explosive device.
The Demands
Cooper's demands, relayed to the flight crew and then to Northwest Orient officials on the ground, were as follows: $200,000 in unmarked $20 bills, four parachutes, and a fuel truck standing by in Seattle. Airline officials and federal authorities agreed to the demands. The aircraft circled Seattle for close to two hours while the ransom and parachutes were assembled.
Passengers were told only that the flight was experiencing a "minor mechanical difficulty." Once the money and parachutes arrived, the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. All passengers and two flight attendants were released unharmed. Cooper ordered the remaining crew back into the air, instructing the pilots to set a course toward Mexico City at a low altitude with the landing gear down and flaps partially lowered.
The Disappearance
Somewhere over the forested terrain of southwestern Washington, near the Oregon border, Cooper lowered the aircraft's rear stairway and jumped from the moving plane at approximately 8:00 p.m., FBI records state. Wind-chill temperatures at that altitude were estimated at close to minus 7 degrees Celsius. He was wearing a business suit, a raincoat, and loafers.
He has not been seen since. No confirmed remains, parachute, or additional physical evidence tied directly to Cooper were recovered from the presumed drop zone despite extensive ground and aerial searches conducted by the FBI and military personnel in the weeks following the hijacking.
Investigation and Evidence
The FBI's NORJAK investigation reviewed more than 1,000 suspects over four and a half decades. Individuals who received significant scrutiny included Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., a Vietnam veteran linked to a similar hijacking months later, and Kenneth Christiansen, a former military paratrooper who had been employed by Northwest Orient Airlines. Neither was ever charged in connection with the case.
In February 1980, an eight-year-old boy discovered a decayed bundle of cash while digging along the banks of the Columbia River near Vancouver, Washington. FBI forensic analysis confirmed that the $5,800 in deteriorated $20 bills matched serial numbers recorded from Cooper's ransom payment. Investigators have not determined how the money reached that location, which lies outside the presumed flight path and drop zone.
Current Status
The FBI announced in July 2016 that it was formally suspending active investigation of the case in order to redirect investigative resources, according to a bureau statement. Officials said the case would only be reopened if new physical evidence — such as the missing parachute or additional recovered currency — were to surface. As of this report, no such evidence has been submitted.
The name "D.B. Cooper," by which the case is popularly known, originated from a wire-service reporting error; the hijacker identified himself only as "Dan Cooper" in airline records.
FAQ
Q: Was D.B. Cooper ever identified?
A: No. Despite the FBI investigating more than 1,000 suspects over 45 years, the hijacker's true identity has never been confirmed.
Q: Why is he called "D.B. Cooper" if he used the name "Dan Cooper"?
A: The "D.B. Cooper" name came from a wire-service reporting error shortly after the hijacking; it stuck in public memory even though FBI records list him only as "Dan Cooper."
Q: Is the case still being actively investigated?
A: No. The FBI formally suspended active investigation in July 2016 and states it will only reopen the case if new physical evidence, such as the missing parachute, is submitted.
Summary
- Hijacking occurred: November 24, 1971, aboard Northwest Orient Flight 305
- Ransom paid: $200,000 in unmarked $20 bills
- Suspect status: Never identified, arrested, or located
- Case status: Open but inactive since July 2016
- Only confirmed evidence recovered: $5,800 in decayed bills found in 1980
The FBI has not issued any updates on the case since 2016. The bureau maintains that the file will be reopened only in the event that new, verifiable physical evidence is submitted.
This report is compiled from publicly available FBI case records, contemporary news archives, and official statements. Readers with information related to the case are encouraged to contact their local FBI field office.
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