Frequently Asked Questions About the D.B. Cooper Case
For anyone new to this classic unsolved mystery, or for those revisiting it after many years, a few core questions always surface. Here are the most common inquiries and what the available evidence tells us.
What happened to D.B. Cooper?
The simple, and official, answer is that we do not know. The D.B. Cooper case remains the only unsolved act of air piracy in the history of American commercial aviation. Despite decades of investigation by the FBI and countless hours of work by citizen sleuths, his identity and ultimate fate are still a complete mystery. The man who called himself Dan Cooper boarded a plane in 1971 and was never definitively seen or heard from again.
Did D.B. Cooper survive the jump?
This is the central debate of the case. The FBI has long maintained that Cooper most likely did not survive. Their reasoning is based on a number of harsh realities: he jumped at night into a severe storm with 150 mph winds, into a dense and mountainous wilderness. The outside air temperature was well below freezing. He was wearing a business suit and loafers, completely inadequate for the conditions. Furthermore, his main parachute was believed to be a military-issue C-9, which was not steerable. His reserve parachute, investigators later discovered, was a training chute that had been sewn shut, rendering it useless—a fact he likely did not know. The odds were stacked overwhelmingly against him.
However, proponents of the survival theory point to his apparent expertise. His calm demeanor, knowledge of the 727, and specific demands suggest he was not an amateur. If he had military or skydiving experience, he might have been better prepared than the FBI believed. The fact that no body, skeleton, or parachute was ever found in an area that has been extensively logged and explored over 50 years is, for some, the strongest evidence that he made it out of the woods and escaped.
Is there any new evidence in the D.B. Cooper case?
Truly new physical evidence, like more of the money, has not surfaced since 1980. However, new analysis of existing evidence has yielded intriguing results. As discussed, the scientific examination of his tie in the 2000s pointed to a potential background in the aerospace industry. This represents the most significant new lead in decades. Beyond that, “new evidence” generally comes in the form of deathbed confessions or family stories about potential suspects, which are historically difficult to verify.
Why did the FBI close the D.B. Cooper case?
In July 2016, the FBI announced it was officially closing its active investigation into the NORJAK case after 45 years. The agency explained that it was time to redirect resources to more urgent criminal and national security priorities. In their closing statement, officials noted that they had exhausted all credible leads and reviewed every piece of evidence. While the active case is closed, the FBI has said it will still review any specific physical evidence that might emerge, such as the missing ransom money or Cooper’s parachute.
