New evidence prompts FBI to reinvestigate D.B. Cooper's 1971 plane hijacking

The long-unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper, the notorious hijacker who vanished with $200,000 in ransom, has taken a dramatic turn. The FBI has reopened its investigation following the discovery of a parachute that may be connected to the infamous crime.

The parachute was found on the property of a family linked to Richard Floyd McCoy II, a prime suspect in the case. McCoy, who was arrested for a similar hijacking shortly after Cooper’s daring escape, has long been under scrutiny as a potential match for the elusive criminal, News.Az reports, citing Newsweek.

Dan Gryder, a YouTube investigator who has spent over two decades exploring the Cooper mystery, played a key role in uncovering the parachute. He discovered it on McCoy’s family property in North Carolina and shared the findings in a series of investigative videos.

The FBI’s renewed interest in the case stems from the potential significance of the parachute, which could offer vital clues in solving one of aviation history's most enduring puzzles.

What happened to D.B. Cooper?

On November 21, 1971, Cooper bought a one-way ticket to Seattle. While the Boeing 727 flight was in the air, Cooper handed air hostess Florence Schaffner a note, claiming he had a bomb inside his briefcase.

After examining what appeared to be a makeshift bomb — its authenticity remains unclear — Schaffner took the note to the flight's captain, William A. Scott.

The neatly typed note demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in $20 bills.


Scott safely landed the plane at the Seattle-Tacoma airport, where the passengers disembarked. However, Cooper, four members of the flight crew, and the pilot remained on board.

The authorities delivered Cooper's parachutes and money to the plane. Cooper then ordered the plane to fly toward Mexico City. Mid-flight, he demanded all the staff move to the cockpit.

After speaking with the flight crew over the plane's internal telephone, Cooper stopped communicating with them. When the plane landed, he was gone. Authorities believe he jumped out of the back of the plane, parachute and cash in hand.

Airport security in the 1970s did not match today's standards, and investigators never determined exactly when Cooper left the plane, making it difficult to pinpoint his landing spot.

Who was D.B. Cooper?

Officially, D.B. Cooper has never been found.

The FBI launched an investigation to locate the mysterious individual and interviewed more than 800 suspects by 1976.

Robert Rackstraw, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, became another suspect. Many believed he could have used his top-tier military training to hijack the plane and parachute out successfully.

Rackstraw frequently got into trouble with the law. In 1978, he tried to fake his own death by crashing a rented airplane into Monterey Bay, California. Investigators found him a few months later, and they charged him with stealing an aircraft and passing bad checks. He spent two years in prison for his crimes.

Other suspects over the years included Kenneth Peter Christiansen, Jack Coffelt, Lynn Doyle Cooper, Barbara Dayton, William Gossett, Robert Lepsy, John List, Ted Mayfield, Sheridan Peterson, Robert Rackstraw, Walter R. Reca, William J. Smith and Duane Weber, but they were all eventually ruled out.

How Much Money Did D.B. Cooper Steal?

Cooper hijacked a plane, demanded $200,000 in cash, and successfully stole the money, disappearing into the night after parachuting from the aircraft.

News.Az