JULY 13TH, 2016

How many times have we seen movies in which there are good or bad people capture the plane, take something or for some other reason with a parachute for some other reason. Beautiful crime - Try to catch! Who would have thought what could happen in reality.

One person managed to still make the perfect hijacking of the passenger liner. He managed not only to get the requested 200 thousand dollars, but also imperceptibly leave the plane. I was looking for it for 30 years, but unsuccessfully. And today it came to the news that it is closed, but not in connection with the capture of the criminal.

"After one of the most long and thorough investigations in the history of our (FBI) existence on July 8, 2016, the FBI redested the resources allocated in the case of the hijacker of the aircraft to focus on other investigative tasks," the bureau said.

Let's learn the details of this crime and the subsequent search for a criminal ...

Bomb in the bag

On November 24, 1971, a low carbonous brunette of forty with a small bag on the shoulder was entered the building of Portland Airport (Oregon). It is dressed, it was modest and low: light black cloak, the same color classic costume, carefully plated white shirt, narrow tie with pearl clamp, suede shoes. Defending a small queue in the cashier, a man acquired for cash ticket for flight No. 305 to Seattle in the name of Dan Coper. Then, put on the dark glasses, confidently and leisurely passed into the waiting room. It was crowded here: on the eve of Thanksgiving Day hundreds of Americans sought to meet their relatives and friends to meet together national holiday. In this time, nobody paid attention to a lonely inconspicuous passenger.

In "Boeing 727" Dan got the place 18c, in the tail of the cabin, not far from the folded side seats Stewardles. The liner took off exactly on the schedule, at 14:50, struck the dense layer of clouds and lay down on the course. Cooper asked Stewardess Florence Shaffner to bring him Bourbon and soda. When she fulfilled an order, he handed her note. A pretty girl who uses success in men, thought that another designer decided to smell with her, and hid a message in his pocket. But the passenger, stopping it, whispered:

Still hoping that this is a stupid draw, the girl launched a note. It was written in large printed letters in it: "I have a bomb in my portfolio, I am pleased to use it if I consider it necessary. You need to sit next to me. Your plane is coented. "

The stewardess was forced to obey. Sitting in a free chair next to Dan, she asked to show the bomb. Dan was awarded the bag, and Florence saw eight red cylinders connected by wires with a battery. By closing the bag, the hijacker dictated its requirements: 200 thousand dollars unremarkable twenty-collar bills, four parachutes and refueling the aircraft in Seattle. In case of refusal, the aircraft will be blown along with the crew and passengers.

Stewardles reported on the incident of the crew commander, he contacted the leadership of the airline, and it was decided to satisfy all the demands of the hijacker.

Photorobot Dan Cooper, compiled by the FBI

Desperate night jump

At 5:39 pm "Boeing" landed at the airport of Seattle Tacoma. Cooper, fearing snipers, ordered to turn off the light in the cabin. Then the FBI agent, moved to the uniform of the airport serving, handed over the hijacker through the back door bag with money and parachutes. The special services were a lot of puzzled, why Dan needed four parachutes, and not the military, and sports, because of the passenger liner's salon, no one jumped - but did not solve this riddle.

Making sure that everything required in place, the hijacker released passengers and Stewardess Shaffner. The crew remained in its places. Federal Department official civil aviation I tried to penetrate on board to explain to the Kupeur that he was waiting for the crime perfect, but Dan refused further negotiations.

At 19:40, the refused plane took off and took the course on Mexico City. After that, Cooper outlined his new demands to the crew, showing knowledge of flights and aerodynamics. In particular, he ordered to fly with 15 percent of the flaps released by the chassis, at a speed of a little less than 90 meters per second and not rise above two thousand meters.

At 20:13, putting a parachute and attaching a bag with money from the other (the rest of the other two and remained in the cabin), Dan jumped out of the plane through the open back door. The US Air Force Fighter, next to the liner, did not notice the moment: it's hard to see the dark figure in the rain veil. No one has heard any more about Cooper.

The FBI suggested that the criminal left the board over the southeastern part of Washington state and landed near Lake Mervin (artificial water). The plane at this time was closed with dense clouds, and the parachutist military pilots who managed fighters did not notice.

Boeing 727 was safely sat down in Renault with lowered back ladder. The runway immediately surrounded the FBI agents. They rose on board and carefully examined the salon, but they found only 2 of the 4 parachutes. Case with a bomb and money was not found. The locality where the hijacker was supposed to land, they thoroughly squeeze, but no traces of landing parachutist found.

All people who communicated with Cooper on board the aircraft were carefully questioned. From their words, a photorobot was made up, but no one could identify a particular person on him. In the spring of 1972, immediately after thawed a team of the FBI agents, 200 soldiers from Fort Lewis and civil volunteers once again merged with the estimated area of \u200b\u200blanding the airborne.

The bottom of Lake Mervin was also carefully investigated. Two local women stumbled upon a skeleton in an abandoned Saraj in Clark district. But he was identified as the remains of a teenage girl, which they kidnapped and killed a few days before the air incident. In the end, the authorities were forced to stop the search, as time went, and they did not give any results.

At the end of 1971, the FBI sent rental numbers issued by Kupeur, banks, casinos, hippodrols and other organizations conducting major monetary operations. The rooms were separated by most countries of the world, but the abducted bills were never discovered. In 1972, two men used fake 20-dollar bills with specified serial numbers. Moving a desire to become famous, giving himself to the famous air hijacker. However, these gentlemen were rapidly exposed and arrested by the police for making fake bills.

Cooper died?

What happened to this desperate air pirate, who managed to circle around the finger and the FBI, and the Air Force? After studying the black box data and determining the coordinates of the aircraft during the jump of the hijacker, the specialists decided that there was a little chances to survive. Dan jumped over the southeastern part of Washington state. He had to land in a hard-to-reach area, in the mountains with snowy vertices, whose slopes are covered with dense forest. In addition, the temperature behind the board was lower than zero, and the light suit and cloak could not protect from the cold.

The area was cleaned by search groups of special services, police, military units. But the criminal - not a living, nor dead - did not find: no trace!

Three weeks after the hijacking of the aircraft in the Los Angeles Times newspaper, a letter of next content came: "I am not modern Robin Hood at all. Unfortunately, I have only 14 months live. The hijacking of the aircraft was for me the fastest and most profitable way to ensure the last days own life. I robbed the airline not because it considered such a pitch with romantic or heroic. For sake of such nonsense, I would never go to such a huge risk. I do not condemn the people who hate me for my act, do not condemn those who would like to see me caught and punished, especially since this will never happen. I did not doubt that I was not caught. I have passed several times on various routes. I'm not going to lay on the bottom in some old, lost in the forest wilderness. And do not think that I am a psychopath: in my entire life I did not even get a fine for the wrong parking. "

Disputes about who wrote this letter do not subside until now: whether Dan himself, whether someone worked under his brand.

20-dollar bills found by Brown Ingram on the Columbia River

Oils in the fire poured Nakhodka, made in 1980 by the father and son, Harold and Brian Ingramami. On the banks of the Columbia River, which proceeds to the north-west of Portland, an eight-year-old boy discovered an axer of the faded twenty-collar bills. Obviously, they were carried out here. In total, ingrem collected six thousand dollars. Experts found that this is part of the money issued by the hijacker. After that, all doubts about the death of the Cooper were disappeared, and the area was flooded by the hordes of the treasures, calculating the rest of the redemption. But no longer found anything.

FBI staff believe that the criminal was very careful and insightful. He asked 4 parachute so that local authorities think that he would force hostages to jump with him. The criminal chose Boeing 727-100, as he had a rear sideband, and his engines were arranged high enough to carry out a jump without risk to get burns from jet exhaust.

At the same time, experts noted that Cooper did not have professional skills with parachute jumps. An experienced parachutist would not jump at night with strong wind and temperatures overboard -57 degrees Celsius in a coat and moccasins. It would be too risky. The hijacker did not even demand that he was brought by a helmet. He took with him a working and spare parachute, but the second was an educational, that is, sewn. An experienced professional simply could not not check the state of parachutes before the jump.

The FBI categorically argued and claims that Dan Cooper could not survive from the very beginning. Jump in the mountainous area without a card, without the necessary equipment, with terrible weather conditions, means initially obraink itself to death.

No, survived!

So thinks Lyle Kristiansen. He believes that under the pseudonym "Cooper" hid his brother Kenneth. In the army, he was a paratrooper, which means that he knew how to jump with a parachute and handle explosive. And he lived just in the terrain where Dan Cooper jumped, and knew her well.

In 1972, he unexpectedly bought a house for 25 thousand dollars, then another plot. He loved to drink a glass of Burbon in the evening and smoked Raleigh cigarettes. He worked as a steward in the company that Dan robbed. And by the way, his favorite alcohol was Bourbon. Before his death, Brother hinted Lyle about some dark spot in his past. And then Lyle saw the transfer of the crime of Cooper on TV and the hijacker learned the traits of his brother. He wrote about his opening in the FBI and even told why the terrorist demanded the redemption by twenty-collar bills. It turns out that at the time of the Great Depression, the father of Kenneth and Laila took his babies to the fair and there, participating in the boxing match, won $ 100, and the winnings were given to him with twenty. This event brothers remembered for life. However, in the FBI, the version of Christiansen was completely rejected.

In 1994, dying from cancer, he said to his native brother Lyle: "There is one thing that I would like to tell you, but unfortunately I can not do it." Subsequently, Lyle began to argue that his brother is very similar to the photodobot, compiled in 1971. However, the FBI extremely skeptically reacted to a similar statement. His staff stated that Christiansen was little similar to the hijacker of the aircraft and cannot be considered as a suspect.

There is a version why the air pirate chose the pseudonym Dan Cooper. So called the popular hero of the Belgian comic, the test pilot of the Air Force of Canada, who participated in many adventures and committed incredible number Feats. These comics never translated into englishAnd the citizens of the United States get acquainted with them there was no possibility. But these books were sold in Canada. And what if the legendary hijacker was Canadian?

Versions a lot, but the secret of Dan Cooper is not solved so far. However, his name is immortalized in the history of aviation. After this incident, the Boeing-727 aircraft began to supply the device that impede the opening of the exit in the tail part of the aircraft when it is in flight. This device is called a "cooper blade".

In 2011, the FBI received an expectation at its disposal, which is expected to make it possible to achieve significant progress in the investigation of the famous hijacking of the Boeing 727 aircraft in 1971, reports The Seattle Times.

According to the representative of the FBI Ain Sandalo Deitolo Dietal (Ayn Sandalo Deitrich), the investigation received a press from law enforcement agencies to a person who has important information about the crime committed by a man named Dan B. Cooper. The informant was submitted to the FBI, a certain object relating to a crime; He is directed to the laboratory for research. Investigators hoped to merge the prints that Cooper could leave on the subject, with samples discovered in the plane.

According to Dietrich, the find was the most promising trail for all the time of searches of the hijacker of the aircraft. At the same time, she then noted that it was impossible to talk about the close disclosure of the crime.

And today the FBI on its site officially announced the end of the investigation. "After one of the longest and thorough investigations in the history of our (FBI) existence on July 8, 2016, FBI redesigned resources allocated to Dan Cooper to focus on other investigative tasks," the Bureau said.

The statement notes that the FBI received from citizens "a huge amount of information", but it was not possible to establish the personality of the criminal.

sources

Dan Cooper became the first person in the history of the United States, who seized the plane for the redemption. He jumped with a parachute from a height of 3 thousand meters, having taken with him 200 thousand dollars. Having disappeared forever, the hijacker remained one of the main mysteries of the XX century, whose genuine name is not installed so far.

Flight 305.

She went 1971. November 24, on the eve of Thanksgiving, Nortwest Orient airline performed the flight one of the shortest routes. The distance between Seattle and Portland is 233 km, to overcome the Boeing 727 is capable of only 30 minutes. At Portland Airport, landing on the flight 305 was announced, and the passengers rushed to the ticket office. For their acquisition, I did not need a certificate of personality, so the name was indicated by the sense of a citizen.

36 people rose on board the aircraft (capacity - 94), piloted by the crew in the composition of two pilots, a flight engineer and two stewardess. Among the passengers was a thin man in dark mirror glasses, dressed as a businessman: suit, tie, black raincoat for rainy weather, felt hat. On the shoulder he has a medium-sized bag, habitual for travel. His place (18c) was in the tail of the salon near the flight attendant Florence Shaffner. The man was on the view of 40-45 years. This was Dan Cooper.

Hyon aircraft for redemption

After a prosperous takeoff, a man asked Stewardess to bring Bourbon with soda, passing a note in exchange. The stewardess, habitual to the attention of men, believed that the passenger flies with her, and was not in a hurry to read it. But he insisted. The note said about the seizure of the aircraft in order to repurchase in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars. Armed bomb, the criminal threatened to make an explosion on board the vessel if his requirements are not satisfied. In addition to the money, Dan Cooper demanded parachutes: 2 punched and 2 safety.

Cooking Tina McOlo, a colleague by crew, the girl was convinced of the seriousness of the intentions of a man. He opened a bag and showed both information was urgently transferred to pilots. By contacting the airline and secret services, the ship commander received the order to plant the aircraft at the request of the hijacker at Seattle Airport in exchange for fulfilling its requirements. While the money and parachutes were preparing, Boeing 727 circled in the air with frightened passengers on board. After delivering the cargo with money, the criminal released everyone, except for the flight attendant Tina McOlo and pilots. He ordered them to take a course on Mexico.

Jump in the unknown

The plane was finished and took off at 19-40 pm. The criminal managed to convince to sit in Rino because of the possible lack of fuel. Agreeing, he demanded to fly at a low height at a speed of 320 km / h with lowered chassis and flaps. Stewardess, who finally noticed how he wrapped his waist with some rods, Dan Cooper sent pilots to the cockpit. From this minute no one else saw him.

The liner was accompanied by two jet aircraftBut evening, rain and bad visibility did not allow them to notice anything during the flight. When Boeing 727 landed in Reno, two parachutes and a kisper tie were discovered on board. Any other evidence disappeared, including a note. In the area of \u200b\u200b20 hours of 10 minutes, the devices showed the deployment of the cabin, which may indicate that D. B. Cooper precisely at that time jumped up with a parachute by opening the rear ladder.

Evidence

For the FBI, the disclosure of a mysterious crime has become a matter of honor. According to polls of the crew and passengers, a photorobot of the hijacker was drawn up, a possible zone of its landing with an area of \u200b\u200b45 square meters was calculated. km in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Mervin (Washington), the serial numbers of cash bills transferred to the criminal are sent out. Despite the attraction of about forty FBI agents and thoroughly clean the terrain by the military, it was not possible to detect any traces of a lively or dead cooper.

Checks by name did not give anything. Obviously, it is fictional. Any versions were considered why the criminal called himself Cooper, the Hero of the Belgian Comic, which was not distributed in the United States. We were looking for a Canadian footprint, where books were actively sold in those years. New techniques over time made it possible to detect traces of chloride on a tie. This confirms that the bomb was real. There were opportunities to make DNA of the criminal, but no real suspects, with whom it would be possible to identify it.

Dan Cooper did not use money for all years, for labeled bills in the turn did not appear. In the 1980s, 3 packs of moldy dollar bills, which coincided with the numbers transferred to the criminal were found on the shore of Colombia. 5 thousand 800 dollars found 30 km from the intended landing of the parachutist who has committed the seizure of the aircraft. But these were kilometers against the flow of the river, which is difficult to explain with the help of simple logic.

Alive or not?

The main version remains the assumption of the death of Cooper during the jump. In her support says the following:

• 200 thousand were transferred to the hijacker bills of $ 20, which is weight of 10 kg. A jump with such a cargo in the absence of visibility and good knowledge of the terrain seems an extremely risky enterprise even for a well-trained parachutist.
• Of the two types of parachutes, D. B. Cooper chose a less maneuverable model, which indicates the absence of necessary professional skills.
• Discovered money indicate that they were thrown ashore after a long stay in the water. Lake Mervin is the most likely landing place for a parachutist, which explains the appearance of dollars in the river.
• The appearance of them is higher in the flow of the Columbia River, connected with the lake, can be explained by the fact that the parachutist fell over the blade of the passing passenger vessel, which in conditions of bad weather and poor visibility remained unnoticed by the team. In this case, the body of the Cooper was not found because it was thrown into the ocean.
• The versions that the criminal could be James Johnson who committed a similar crime, or Kenneth Christiansen, the former airline steward, did not find his confirmation.

In 1971, it was noted that a few weeks after the events described in the editorial office, a letter from a person came to the editor of one of the newspapers called Dan Cooper. He explained the airline's robbery with the desire to live without 14 months, who remained to death. Those who believed in the words of the stranger still adhere to the versions that the legendary person was alive and managed to beat the FBI.

Taken measures

In 1972, the "boom" of theft of aircraft in the United States began. Of the 31 cases 15 completely repeated the scenario D. B. Cooper. The authorities decided to stop similar crimes, taking urgent measures, including:

Closing case

45 years it took the FBI to recognize his powerlessness in the randration of the affairs of the aircraft Boeing 727. Huge funds were spent on carrying out various types of experiments, including to drop a parachute from an aircraft in similar conditions, studying the bottom of Lake Mervin and checking any call, Giving a new hook in business. On the official website, July 8, 2016, a message appeared on termination of the investigation in order to redistribute resources in favor of other essential tasks.

In the city of Ariel, in the zone of the estimated landing of a parachutist, parties are held annually in honor of the legendary hijacker. D. B. Cooper for residents is a legend man, a thief of a gentleman who challenged the authorities in the period of the extremely unpopular war in Vietnam. In books, art films and songs, he appears as a symbol of a fearless person who jumped during a shower and bad visibility to towards immortality.

A man in a suit took his place on board Boeing-727, ordered Bourbon and soda. It would seem that nothing remarkable in this was not, but it was that the only in the history of the US commercial aviation of the United States began an undisclosed hijacking case of an aircraft. Usually, the airparty quickly goes to prison or on the light, but almost half a century ago, an unknown just jumped out of the flying aircraft with money and disappeared. 47 years have passed, the case is officially commissioned to the archive, but there are enthusiasts who believe that they have deciphered secret messages, finally have done to the truth and established the personality of the mysterious hijacker. He studied the incredible story to which the American intelligence agencies could apply.

Normal calm passenger

At about noon. On November 24, 1971, no distinguished man approached the rack of the airline Northwest Airlines at Portland Airport in Oregon. For cash, he bought a ticket to Dan Cooper on the flight number 305, heading to Seattle (Washington state). At that time, the plane was filled in about a third: six crew members plus 37 passengers. The flight was supposed to take about half an hour.

Climbing on board, Cooper took its place - 18c, at the end of the aircraft. It was a quiet man in a business suit, a white shirt and a black tie, an increase in about 180 centimeters, on the view of about 45 years old - a full typical businessman. In anticipation of the flight, he ordered himself a drink and sort of even climbed, and literally ten minutes after the plane broke away from the ground, he passed the boring of a piece of paper sitting nearby nearby. She decided that this is the phone number of a lonely entrepreneur, and therefore removed her without reading. However, he again attracted her attention: "Miss, you better look at the note. I have a bomb. "

Cooper forced a shocked stewardess sit down near, and then opened his portfolio. In it, she saw the wires and red blocks and was convinced: "Businessman" does not joke. Through it, he handed his demands to the captain of the aircraft. The list was short: four parachutes and 200 thousand dollars. However, he clarified: parachutes should not be military, but civil, without automatic disclosure, but money - 20-dollar bills without marks. And the airline must return the aircraft by arrival.

At the time, the amount of 200 thousand was huge: the car was sold on average for 3.5 thousand, and the gallon of gasoline cost 36 cents. Taking into account inflation, the requested ransom in 2018 would be a little more than 1.2 million dollars. Cooper agreed on the requirements, the crew was advised to fulfill all the orders of the attacker. By the way, the flight attendants described the man, immediately putting on sunglasses, as a calm, polite and well-read, unlike the invaders, "take-my-on-cube". According to them, he easily recognized the terrain on which the plane flew.

Cooper wanted all the requested already waiting for him at the airfield, so passengers announced that they would have to circle about the airport "due to technical malfunction." The bills were collected on all the banks of Seattle, and "Boeing" landed only in a couple of hours.

After landing, the plane stood on the remote, but illuminated part of the canvas. The light inside was muffled, the curtains on the windows lowered, fearing snipers. The money and parachutes of Kupeur brought an airline employee, and after checking passengers and two flight attendants were released. The remaining terrorist did not give to relax: with the promised refueling, they tightened because of the breakdown, and he immediately reminded of the bomb.

Having left with the commander, the second pilot, a flight engineer and a stewardess, Cooper put forward demands for the new flight: he wanted to get to Mexico City. However, it was necessary to do this not as usual, but under certain conditions. So, to fly should have followed as much as possible and below - the maximum at a height of three thousand meters, although the standard flights for long distances pass about 10-11 thousand. He also demanded not to remove the chassis, lower the flap by 15 degrees, and that the cabin was not under pressure. Rear pap of the aircraft (and "Boeing-727" it is located under the tail) was to be omitted. From the last condition of the hijacker forced to refuse: too risky would be a rise. Since when performing the other fuel requirements to Mexico, it would not have enough, Cooper agreed to make another refueling in the city of Reno, Nevada.

The plane took off almost eight in the evening. He was accompanied by two military fighters, and they flew over and under the "Boeing": so they were impossible to notice from the salon. After takeoff, Cooper ordered the only stewardess remaining with him to lock in the cockpit with the pilots, and then independently lowered the rear ladder. By that time he was already dark, lil rain. For about ten minutes it did not happen, then the back of the plane jerked, and the carriage had to stabilize the aircraft. Two hours later, the board would land in Reno, the police are usually common, but neither Cooper, no money there, of course, will not.

Schrödinger hijacker

In the modern world, such a situation seems to be absurd: well, as a person without documents could buy a plane ticket, and also carry a bomb in the portfolio? However, in the early 1970s, the airports were not too different from the current bus stations: there was neither the transportation safety workers, nor the diversion of dogs, nor even the framework at the entrance. We gradually enhanced guard, but someone could go inside: for example, people trying to shove the little things in the passengers. And the messages about the seizure of the aircraft in a particular country appeared almost every month.

Thanks to this Dan Kuperu and managed to turn his plan. By the way, in history, due to the media error, he entered under the name of DI BOOPER (D.B. Cooper). Both of these behairs, however, turned out to be fake. It is believed that the name could be taken from the comic book about the Canadian military pilot.

No matter how named the hijacker, immediately after the real hunt began at him. Its scales hit: whole areas were swapped both from the ground and from the air, all houses and apartments were checked, the agents even imitated the flight of the aircraft and threw a 90-kilogram cargo from it, depicting a criminal. The estimated destination of the criminal was the surroundings of Lake Mervin in Washington, but no traces of his presence were found there.

After himself, the man left the plane only unused parachutes, a tie with a clamp and 66 fingerprints. However, as it turns out after many years, almost all of them were unsuitable for identification. However, from the clamp, then DNA samples will receive, but they do not coincide with any of the suspects. In the FBI, later explained that the particles could not belong to the hijacker at all: he could lend a tie with someone or buy a used one.

The hook was and coming at the first time of the letter, allegedly sent by the hijacker in different newspapers. In them, the unknown wrote that Dan Cooper is a fictional name that he was alive and was able to defeat the system and the "stupid government."

"I had to somehow apply what uncle taught me [Sam], and here I am a very rich man," said in one message. However, it was not possible to find out. Another point was noted: the photographs had a dark-haired and dark-eyed man of middle age, and some eyewitnesses talked about unnatural hair - that is, wig and even make-up.

Initially, the intelligence agencies believed that the mysterious Cooper had experience with parachute or was a paratrooper. This was built on the list of suspects. "In a few years we have come to the conclusion that it is not. No experienced parachute would jump into a dark night with rain and wind, which beats in a person at a speed of 320 kilometers per hour, in moccasins and coats. It was too risky, "said Larry Carr Agent, who was responsible for this business from 2006 to 2016.

As a result, the FBI began to be inclined to the version that the hijacker did not survive when jumping and either crashed, or drowned: the parachute was almost impossible to manage, and the clothes were unsuitable for a rough landing, especially in wooded terrain. This theory has received indirect confirmation across nine years. In 1980, the child found on the banks of the Columbia River with half-chacted 20-dollar bills (only 5.8 thousand). The investigation of the serial numbers of the banknote confirmed: this is part of the amount requested by the cooper. The remaining money has not yet been detected.

On November 24, 1971, one of the most mysterious crimes in the history of air terrorism occurred in the sky over American Portland. Someone D. B. Cooper, threatening the bomb, captured the passenger Boeing 727, received a redemption of $ 200,000 and disappeared forever, jumping out of a flying aircraft at an altitude of 3000 meters.

Love note, or terrorist ultimatum

Passenger seat C18 was reserved in the name of Dan Cooper. Ironically, there was a place of flight attendants, which Cooper handed the note. The girl thought that the passenger wants to meet himself, and, without reading, removed the note in his pocket. But the man was persistent and persuaded Stewardess to read the message. It was said that there is a bomb on the plane and if the authorities do not pass $ 200,000, he will explode the aircraft right in the air. On board, not counting staff, there were 36 people ...

Money and parachutes

The authorities went on contact with a terrorist and decided to satisfy his "request." The plane landed at Seattle Airport - Tacoma, Washington. Cooper demanded to provide redemption by 20-dollar bills and, moreover, transfer it to him ... Four parachutes. When the requirements of the terrorist were fulfilled, the hijacker released hostages, leaving two pilots, stewardess and a berthorer on board. Flying continued ...

Night pursuit

The plane rose into the air. The authorities approached the incident. Seriously: by order of the FBI, F-106 US Air Force fighters began the persecution of the airliner. Dramatism gave a few factors: raging in the sky over Seattle and Oregon Thunderstorm and complete misunderstanding, where the plane is leading the terrorist, armed with a bomb and equipped with four parachutes.

Jump in the night

Drama isolation occurred half an hour after the resumption of flight. Cooper demanded that the crew gather in the pilot's cabin and did not leave it. At 20:13, on-board indicators showed that the interior of the salon occurred: Cooper opened the door in the tail compartment. Having consistent with the Agents of the FBI, the pilot decided to continue the flight until the fuel reserves are completed, because no one was confident that the terrorist left the plane. Jump from three-kilometer height, in the November night, during the raging thunderstorms it seemed madness.

Two out of four

The plane landed in Renault. Drapp in the tail part was lowered. FBI officers entered the salon and found that, in fact, the criminal left the plane during the flight. Retakers had to be content with small: they found the fingerprints of Cooper and two of the four parachutes. The hijacker took with him a bomb, redemption and two parachutes.

Questions without answers

Cooper's solution is not amenable to logical explanation. Why did he demand four parachute and jumped up with two? Why did the hijacker decided to jump with a bomb that could be restored during landing? In addition, even if the terrorist managed to escape during the flight through a thunderstorm, he had no chance of surviving in the tropical American forest in November, without warm clothing (there were only a shirt and jacket on Cooper) and orientation.

Without a trace

Mystics added the fact that the jug of the Cooper was not seen by any fighter who pursued a sophisticated liner. In the same night, the special services began to be cleaned by the region, in which he had to be jumped by Cooper, but the search did not give results. There was no body of a mysterious hijacker, nor a diplomat with a bomb, nor a portfolio from $ 200,000.

According to the descriptions of the passengers, a photomobot of the criminal was compiled.

Letter from the northily

Three weeks after the tragedy, the Los Angeles Times newspaper published a letter supposedly for the authorship of a saved cooper. It was said that the crime was not a romantic gesture, but to ensure the fastest and most profitable way to provide the last days of the life of the criminal. The author reported that he was deadly and he was left to live a little over a year. This letter did not explain what miraculously Kupeur managed to escape and hide from the police, and was perceived as a hoax.

Cash mark

The fascinated interest in this story was revived with a new force in 1980, when Bryan Ingrem's boy found on the banks of the Columbia River 290 of the half-satiest bills with a par value of $ 20. His parents reported finding a police. Specialists checked the bills and found out that this money was transferred to Kupeur in exchange for hostages. The search for traces of the terrorist resumed, but again did not give results. Also remains a mystery as bills were able to continue for almost ten years in the conditions of the tropical climate of America's forests.

Heritage Cooper

But it is impossible to say that Dan Cooper disappeared without a trace. After the hijacking, all Boeing 727 aircraft were equipped with a device that did not allow the door to open the door in the tail part of the aircraft. This mechanism was called "Cooper's blade". And those found by the family of ingredients of banknotes were sold in 2008 at auction. The transaction was favorable: for 300 legendary dollars, the American family received an amount of $ 37,000.

Photo: ThinkStockPhotos.com, Flickr.com

Dan Cooper - Until now, an unknown man who hijacked the Boeing 727 aircraft on November 24, 1971 airspace USA between Seattle (Washington state) and Portland (Oregon). As a ransom, the criminal demanded 200 thousand dollars (equivalent to $ 1.16 million in 2015). Having obtained the required amount, he jumped with a parachute, and his fate remained unknown. This is the most mysterious crime of the 20th century.

Chronology of events

The criminal acquired the air ticket for the pseudonym Dan Cooper for $ 18, 52 Cents at Portland Airport to Seattle. In 1971 there were no framework of metal detectors and X-rays, so the passenger without any problems passed controls and got into a cabin of the aircraft performing flight 305 of North-Western Airlines (NWA).

Cooper took place 18C (according to other data 18E or 15D) in the back of the cabin. 36 passengers flew this flight. When the liner took off, a man litter a cigarette and ordered Bourbon with soda. Outwardly, he looked at 40-45 years with a rise of approximately 1.78 m - 1.83 cm. On the passenger was a light dark raincoat, dark costume, a white shirt, a black tie with a pearl pin, moccasins.

When Stewardles Florence Schaffner brought an order, a man handed her a note. The girl decided that this is another loving wants to sunk her. It indifferently sung the message in the pocket of the uniform, without even looking, which is written there.

However, the passenger has given a quiet and firm voice: "Miss, I strongly advise you to read the message. I have a bomb with you." The girl got a note, turned out and read the following: "In my case there is a bomb. I use it if necessary. Sit next to me. Your plane is hijacked."

Shaffner sat down near and a quiet voice asked to show the bomb. Cooper opened the case, and the girl saw in it 8 red cylinders and many wires covered with red insulation. After that, the hijacker dictated the conditions. He demanded 200 thousand dollars with 20-dollar bills, 4 parachutes, of which 2 basic and 2 reserve, and so that the Seattle stood fuel oil to refuel.

The stewardess listened to the conditions and went to the cockpit of pilots. They immediately reported a dispatcher on the ground. After such a message were raised by the alarm of the power of the local police and the FBI. The authorities decided that the life of passengers could not risk. Therefore, they agreed to fulfill all the conditions of the hijacker.

But in order to collect the right amount, time was required. Therefore, the plane circled over the Seattle for more than an hour, and only after that sat down. All this time, Dan Cooper was absolutely calm. He ordered more Bourbon, paid and gave Florence tip. Also asked to take on board food for the crew after landing the airliner.

When local authorities have fulfilled all demands, the hijacker released passengers, the older flight attendant Alice Hancock and the poor fellow Florence, suffered the most. On board the crew and the flight attendant Tina McClow.

After that, the criminal outlined the following conditions: take off and take a course on Mexico City. Fly at an altitude of 3 thousand meters above the ground at a speed of 315 km / h. The crew should sit in the cockpit and not to leave it. Next to the hijacker must constantly be the flight attendant Tina McClow.

The airliner rose into the air and flew the specified route. Following it, 2 fighters of the US Air Force rose in the air. After some time, Dan ordered Tine to go to the pilot cockpit. As soon as the girl settled next to his colleagues, blinked the light indicator indicating that the rear ladder was opened. On the deployment of the cabin also indicated the change in air pressure in the cabin.

Pilots requested the hijacker on the internal communication, but in response they were silence. Then one of the pilots opened the door and went out into the salon. He saw the passenger seat in which the hijacker sat, empty. He was not on the plane at all. Cooper left the ship through the rear. Only a tie with a pearl pin and cigarette cigarettes of Raleigh remained on the seat.

The FBI suggested that the criminal left the board over the southeastern part of Washington state and landed near Lake Mervin (artificial water). The plane at this time was closed with dense clouds, and the parachutist military pilots who managed fighters did not notice.

Photorobot Dan Cooper, compiled by the FBI

Boeing 727 was safely sat down in Renault with lowered back ladder. The runway immediately surrounded the FBI agents. They rose on board and carefully examined the salon, but they found only 2 of the 4 parachutes. Case with a bomb and money was not found. The locality where the hijacker was supposed to land, they thoroughly squeeze, but no traces of landing parachutist found.

All people who communicated with Cooper on board the aircraft were carefully questioned. From their words, a photorobot was made up, but no one could identify a particular person on him. In the spring of 1972, immediately after thawed a team of the FBI agents, 200 soldiers from Fort Lewis and civil volunteers once again merged with the estimated area of \u200b\u200blanding the airborne.

The bottom of Lake Mervin was also carefully investigated. Two local women stumbled upon a skeleton in an abandoned Saraj in Clark district. But he was identified as the remains of a teenage girl, which they kidnapped and killed a few days before the air incident. In the end, the authorities were forced to stop the search, as time went, and they did not give any results.

At the end of 1971, the FBI sent rental numbers issued by Kupeur, banks, casinos, hippodrols and other organizations conducting major monetary operations. The rooms were separated by most countries of the world, but the abducted bills were never discovered. In 1972, two men used fake 20-dollar bills with specified serial numbers. Moving a desire to become famous, giving himself to the famous air hijacker. However, these gentlemen were rapidly exposed and arrested by the police for making fake bills.

In February 1980, a 8-year-old boy Brine Ingram, while relaxing with his family on the Columbia River, found three packages with 20-dollar bills totaling $ 5800 at 14 km from Vancouver. In the FBI, this money was checked and confirmed that they were just from that stolen party. Immediately there was a huge number of questions and assumptions, but there were no answers.

In 1988, from the bottom of the Columbia River, parachute raised on the same site. But the experts found that it was not the parachute, with whom Dan Cooper jumped. In 2008, another parachute was discovered 10 km from Lake Mervin. However, he was the time of World War II.

20-dollar bills found by Brown Ingram on the Columbia River

Versions and assumptions

Currently, FBI employees believe that the criminal was very careful and insightful. He asked 4 parachute so that local authorities think that he would force hostages to jump with him. The criminal chose Boeing 727-100, as he had a rear sideband, and his engines were arranged high enough to carry out a jump without risk to get burns from jet exhaust.

At the same time, experts noted that Cooper did not have professional skills with parachute jumps. An experienced parachutist would not jump at night with strong wind and temperatures overboard -57 degrees Celsius in a coat and moccasins. It would be too risky. The hijacker did not even demand that he was brought by a helmet. He took with him a working and spare parachute, but the second was an educational, that is, sewn. An experienced professional simply could not not check the state of parachutes before the jump.

The FBI categorically argued and claims that Dan Cooper could not survive from the very beginning. Jump in the mountainous area without a card, without the necessary equipment, with terrible weather conditions, means initially obraink itself to death.

Suspects

Since 1971, the FBI checked more than 1,000 potential suspects, but they were all excluded. However, in addition to law enforcement agencies, there is also the opinion of journalists. So many of them believe that Kenneth Christiansen could be a hijacker of the aircraft. He served in the army and had skills with parachute. In 1971 he lived in Washington. In 1972, suddenly bought a house for 25 thousand dollars. He loved to drink a glass of Burbon in the evening and smoked Raleigh cigarettes.

In 1994, dying from cancer, he said to his native brother Lyle: "There is one thing that I would like to tell you, but unfortunately I can not do it." Subsequently, Lyle began to argue that his brother is very similar to the photodobot, compiled in 1971. However, the FBI extremely skeptically reacted to a similar statement. His staff stated that Christiansen was little similar to the hijacker of the aircraft and cannot be considered as a suspect. Thus, the most mysterious crime of the 20th century remains unexplored.

PS.

It is noteworthy that Dan Cooper entered his fictional name in the history of aviation not only as a criminal. After a perfect crime, the Boeing-727 began to equip a special device that did not allow the rear-rod hatch in flight. This device was called the "cooper's blade".