The gentleman hijacker who disappeared without a trace
On November 24, 1971 a man hijacks a plane on a flight form Portland to Seattle. He demands $200,000 and four parachutes. His demands are met by the FBI. Somewhere over SW Washington, the man jumps out of the plane and is never seen or heard from again. This man's name was D.B. Cooper.
Portland International Airport
November 24, 1971 - 2:50 pm
A quiet, well-mannered man by the name of Dan Cooper buys a ticket for NW Orient flight 305 from Portland to Seattle. He is wearing a black suit and clip on tie. Reporters misheard his name as D.B. Cooper and report it as such.
November 24, 1971 - 2:50 pm to 5:39 pm
Cooper asks flight stewardess Florence Schaffner for a bourbon and water and hands her note. Although the verbatim wording of the note is unknown, it says something along the lines of: "You are being hijacked, I have a bomb in my briefcase and I will use it if necessary. I want you to sit next to me". He then demands $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.
Tacoma International Airport
November 24, 1971 - 5:39 pm
Flight 305 lands in Seattle at 5:39 pm. Cooper instructs for all of the window curtains to remain closed to ward off sniper hits. Authorities meet them at the airport. The passengers are released and Cooper's demands are met by the FBI.
November 24, 1971 - 7:40 pm
The plane is loaded with the parachutes and cash, with only Cooper, stewardess Tina Mucklow, and flight crew as passengers. Cooper gives Mucklow the following specifications to relay to the crew regarding the flight: They are to fly to Mexico City. They are to fly at 10,000 feet at the minimum possible speed (about 100knots), with the flaps on the wings at 15˚, and to leave the landing gear out. He says that if these specifications are not met, he will know and will act accordingly.
The pilots rebuke this, saying that they will run out of fuel before Mexico City if flying at these conditions. Cooper agrees to a planned refueling stop in Reno. Flight 305 departs Seattle at 7:40 pm.
In Flight
November 24, 1971 - 8:13 pm
At 8:13 pm while flying over the Lewis River in SW Washington, there is sudden movement of the plane's tail and a change in cabin pressure. Upon landing to refuel in Reno, it is discovered that two parachutes and the $200,000 is missing along with Cooper.
Investigation
An initial search area around Aerial, WA and Lake Merwin is established based off of flight path and the presumed jump location over the Lewis River.
Search parties are put together by both Clark and Cowlitz Counties as well as the FBI. The searches conducted via foot, door-to-door, and helicopter were fruitless, turning up nothing related to the hijacking.
Discovered Evidence
For many years, the only piece of physical evidence is the clip on tie that Cooper was wearing that he left behind on the plane. A small DNA sample was found on it, however DNA test results were inconclusive and it is unclear as to whether the DNA found actually belongs to Cooper.
During a family vacation in the early 1980s, Brian Ingram finds $5,800 dollars of Cooper's ransom is found near Tena Bar. This find excites investigators as it is not far off of the plane's flight path.
Additionally, part of what is believed to be Cooper's parachute was found in the Pacific Northwest in 2017, although this find has never been confirmed of belonging to the hijacker.