The Calm Before the Storm: A Hijacking Unlike Any Other
The story begins on a day of transit and homecomings: Wednesday, November 24, 1971, the eve of Thanksgiving. At Portland International Airport in Oregon, a man in his mid-forties, described as being quiet and nondescript, approached the ticket counter for Northwest Orient Airlines. He wore a dark business suit, a white shirt, and a black clip-on tie. He purchased a one-way ticket to Seattle, Washington, for Flight 305. He gave his name as “Dan Cooper.”
Onboard the Boeing 727, Cooper took his seat, 18C, in the rear of the aircraft. He lit a Raleigh cigarette and ordered a bourbon and soda. By all accounts from the flight crew, he was polite, calm, and utterly unremarkable. The flight took off on schedule at 2:50 PM Pacific Standard Time. It was a short commuter hop, a flight that hundreds of people made every week without incident. This time would be different.
Shortly after takeoff, Cooper handed a folded note to a flight attendant named Florence Schaffner. Thinking it was a lonely businessman’s phone number, she initially slipped it into her purse. Cooper leaned closer. “Miss, you’d better look at that note,” he said quietly. “I have a bomb.”
The note, which Cooper later reclaimed, was direct and chillingly clear. It confirmed his claim of having a bomb in his briefcase and laid out his demands. When Schaffner returned from the cockpit, Cooper opened his briefcase slightly, giving her a glimpse of what appeared to be a tangle of wires and red sticks. His demands were relayed to the captain: $200,000 in “negotiable American currency,” four parachutes (two primary and two reserve), and a fuel truck standing by in Seattle to refuel the plane upon arrival. The use of the term “negotiable American currency” suggested a degree of sophistication; he wanted unmarked, non-sequential twenty-dollar bills.
A Step-by-Step Timeline of the Heist
The events that unfolded over the next several hours were a masterclass in cool-headed execution, creating a timeline that has been scrutinized by the FBI for decades. It is one of the few parts of the story where the facts are largely undisputed.
Around 3:00 PM: Cooper’s note is delivered. The pilot, William Scott, contacts Seattle-Tacoma Airport air traffic control, which in turn alerts local and federal authorities. The president of Northwest Orient Airlines, Donald Nyrop, instructs the crew to cooperate fully with the hijacker’s demands. The 35 other passengers on board remain completely unaware of the drama unfolding.
Between 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM: While the FBI and airline officials scramble to assemble the cash and parachutes on the ground, the plane circles Puget Sound for nearly two hours. To the passengers, this is explained away as a minor mechanical issue requiring them to burn fuel before landing. During this time, Cooper remains calm, even ordering a second bourbon and paying for his drinks. His demeanor never betrays the gravity of the situation.
5:39 PM: The plane lands at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Cooper orders the pilot to taxi to an isolated, brightly lit section of the tarmac. An airline employee delivers the cash in a knapsack and the four parachutes. In exchange, Cooper allows all passengers and two of the flight attendants, including Florence Schaffner, to deplane.
Around 7:40 PM: After refueling and a tense discussion about his flight plan, Cooper issues his final instructions. The plane is to take off and fly towards Mexico City at the lowest possible speed without stalling—approximately 100 knots (115 mph). It must remain at an altitude of 10,000 feet, far lower than typical cruising altitude. The landing gear is to remain down, and the wing flaps must be set at 15 degrees. These technical demands were highly specific and suggested a deep knowledge of the Boeing 727’s capabilities.
Around 8:00 PM: Flight 305 is airborne again, with only Cooper and a skeleton crew of four onboard: the two pilots, a flight engineer, and flight attendant Tina Mucklow, whom he had instructed to stay. Cooper tells Mucklow to go to the cockpit and remain there with the door closed.
Approximately 8:13 PM: Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, over the rugged, forested terrain of southwestern Washington, a warning light flashes in the cockpit, indicating that the aft airstair—the retractable staircase at the rear of the 727—had been opened. This was the moment. Hampered by a powerful storm, darkness, and near-freezing temperatures at 10,000 feet, Dan Cooper jumped from the back of the airplane with the ransom money and two of the parachutes, disappearing into the night.
