D.B. Cooper: Was the 1971 Skyjacker Ever Identified?
The FBI stopped actively investigating the D.B. Cooper hijacking in 2016 without ever identifying him. Even the name is a mistake: he bought his ticket as Dan Cooper.
5 established, 5 disputed, 1 debunked, 3 unresolved. We do not pick an answer; the evidence places each claim. How we decide
50 citations from 15 independent sources - 35 echo the same voices and count once. Graded A1-D1.
Added 3 Jul 2026 - updated 29 Sept 2026
What the four states mean
- Establishedsupported, uncontested
- Disputedcredible sources disagree
- Debunkedrefuted by the evidence
- Unresolvedno settled answer
Established 5supported, uncontested
It is the only unsolved skyjacking in U.S. history, despite an investigation that considered more than 800 suspects.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- The case has taken on historic proportions in the mind of the public and remains the only unsolved skyjacking in U.S. history.Citizen Sleuths: D.B. Cooper tie research authoritative
- For nearly 40 years, the FBI has chased the ghost of the man responsible for the nation's only unsolved hijackingFBI: DNA test did not match D.B. Cooper suspect (NBC News) summary
- By the five-year anniversary of the hijacking, we’d considered more than 800 suspects and eliminated all but two dozen from consideration.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
In February 1980 eight-year-old Brian Ingram, smoothing sand beside the Columbia River, found three packs of $20 bills from the ransom, $5,800 in all. Apart from that find, the money was never found.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 points
Supports- On February 10, 1980, 8-year-old Brian Ingram (b. 1972) is smoothing sand for a campfire on the Washington side of the Columbia River when he comes across three deteriorating packs of $20 bills still bound by rubber bands.$5,800 of airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper's ransom money is found near the Columbia River on February 10, 1980 (HistoryLink.org Essay 23059) analysis
- This theory was given an added boost in 1980 when a young boy found a rotting package full of twenty-dollar bills ($5,800 in all) that matched the ransom money serial numbers.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- He was never seen or heard from again, nor was the money ever found except for $5,800 in $20 bills that washed up on the banks of the Columbia River years later.Who Is D.B. Cooper? New Evidence May Crack One Of America's Greatest Mysteries (Cowboy State Daily, 23 Nov 2024) summary
On 24 November 1971 a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305, demanded four parachutes and $200,000, and after receiving them jumped from the back of the plane somewhere between Seattle and Reno.▰▰▰▱▱ likely4 points
Supports- On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a nondescript man calling himself Dan Cooper approached the counter of Northwest Orient Airlines in Portland, Oregon.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- FBI artist rendering of so-called D.B. Cooper, who hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305 out of Portland (Oregon), demanded and received ransom money upon landing in Seattle, then parachuted into the woods and was never found again.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- Soon, she was walking a new note to the captain of the plane that demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- After receiving the money, he jumped from the back of the plane with a parachute somewhere between Seattle and Reno, NV.D.B. Cooper: U.S. Attorney's Case File, 1971 (National Archives at Seattle) primary
In July 2016 the FBI redirected the resources allocated to the case to other priorities; its statement said that over the 45-year NORJAK investigation it had exhaustively reviewed all credible leads.▰▰▰▱▱ likely2 points
Supports- July 12, 2016 Update: The FBI has redirected resources allocated to the D.B. Cooper case to focus on other investigative priorities.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- “During the course of the 45-year NORJAK investigation, the FBI exhaustively reviewed all credible leads, coordinated between multiple field offices to conduct searches, collected all available evidence, and interviewed all identified witnesses,” the bureau said in a statementD.B. Cooper: FBI closes notorious unsolved skyjacking case (Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2016) summary
Cooper jumped a little after 8:00 p.m.; it is generally assumed that he left by the Boeing 727's exit ramp at 8:13 p.m.▰▰▰▱▱ likely2 points
Supports- Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: He jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- It is generally assumed that Cooper jumped from the exit ramp of the Boeing 727 at 8:13 PM.DB Cooper's Jump (Check-Six.com) summary
Disputed 5credible sources disagree
Gryder believed a parachute found among Richard McCoy's belongings on a McCoy family property in North Carolina matched the one Cooper wore.▰▰▰▱▱ likely2 againstsummary-sourced4 points
Supports- In a follow-up video the next year, Gryder showed off a parachute discovered on a McCoy family farm amongst Richard McCoy’s belongings that he believed to match specific characteristics of the one Cooper wore.Could New Evidence Solve the D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery? Some Longtime Researchers Aren't Convinced (The Debrief) summary
- A parachute found in an outbuilding in North Carolina could be the new evidence that may crack the 53-year-old D.B Cooper case.Who Is D.B. Cooper? New Evidence May Crack One Of America's Greatest Mysteries (Cowboy State Daily, 23 Nov 2024) summary
Against- Finally, Burns claims that Gryder’s images of the recently recovered parachute reveal one that had been used by the Air Force, while all of the varied claims remain consistent with Cooper receiving a Navy chute.Could New Evidence Solve the D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery? Some Longtime Researchers Aren't Convinced (The Debrief) summary
- Burns provides archival evidence from the period that the same source gave a very different, yet consistent, description of the chute on multiple occasions around the time of the incident.Could New Evidence Solve the D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery? Some Longtime Researchers Aren't Convinced (The Debrief) summary
Robert Rackstraw, a former Army pilot with a criminal record, was D.B. Cooper, as the investigator Tom Colbert, whose cold-case team made him its prime suspect, became convinced.▰▰▰▱▱ likely1 againstsummary-sourced3 points
Supports- The team felt that this was our prime suspect, former Army Special Ops pilot Robert Rackstraw'I Investigated D.B. Cooper' (Newsweek, first-person essay by a member of the cold-case team) summary
- Colbert had grown convinced that this old U.S. Army soldier with a distinctive criminal record, Robert W. Rackstraw, was in fact D.B. Cooper, who in 1971 skyjacked a Boeing 727Has the Mystery of D.B. Cooper Finally Been Solved? (The Hollywood Reporter) summary
Against- The FBI began investigating Rackstraw about the Cooper case in 1979 but he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect.Who Were the D.B. Cooper Suspects? (Newsweek) summary
Kenneth Christiansen's brother came to believe that Christiansen, a Northwest purser and former paratrooper, was D.B. Cooper.▰▰▰▱▱ likely3 against6 points
Supports- Kenneth Christiansen, Northwest purser and former paratrooper; the suspect.Geoffrey Gray, 'Unmasking D.B. Cooper' (New York Magazine, 2007) analysis
- There was so many circumstances that I became convinced my brother was truly D.B.Geoffrey Gray, 'Unmasking D.B. Cooper' (New York Magazine, 2007) analysis
- Christiansen’s aviation knowledge actually makes him a better suspect than some of the critics in the DB Cooper forums will admit.Marty Andrade, 'Kenny Christiansen is Not D.B. Cooper' summary
Against- Physically, Kenny is too short.Marty Andrade, 'Kenny Christiansen is Not D.B. Cooper' summary
- Documents have come to light showing Kenny did not pay for his house in one lump sum of cash, but instead paid off a standard mortgage over many years.Marty Andrade, 'Kenny Christiansen is Not D.B. Cooper' summary
- Kenny would not have been exposed to pure titanium and some of the other tie particles in his day to day life.Marty Andrade, 'Kenny Christiansen is Not D.B. Cooper' summary
Particles found on Cooper's tie show that he worked in manufacturing, possibly aerospace.▰▰▰▱▱ unlikely2 against5 points
Supports- an electron microscope has identified several rare earth materials on the tie, including Cerium, Strontium Sulfide, and pure titanium, a cluster of particles that individuals would only have been exposed to in 1971 in very specific lines of work.New Evidence Suggests D.B. Cooper's Tie May Help Solve a 45-Year Mystery (Mental Floss) summary
- “The tie went with him into these manufacturing environments, for sure,” Kaye told King5.com. “He was either an engineer or a manager in one of the plants.”New Evidence Suggests D.B. Cooper's Tie May Help Solve a 45-Year Mystery (Mental Floss) summary
- One of those lines of work is aerospace, a major industry in the Northwest.New Evidence Suggests D.B. Cooper's Tie May Help Solve a 45-Year Mystery (Mental Floss) summary
Against- Readers must also remember that new evidence can change these interpretations dramatically and the D.B. Cooper case must still be considered a work in progress.Citizen Sleuths: D.B. Cooper tie research authoritative
- Gutt said there are three different DNA samples on the tie and that it's possible it had been used previously by other people.FBI: DNA test did not match D.B. Cooper suspect (NBC News) summary
Richard McCoy's children believe he was D.B. Cooper; McCoy carried out a similar hijacking five months later and has long been one of the FBI's leading suspects.▰▰▰▱▱ unlikely2 against4 points
Supports- McCoy has long been one of the FBI’s leading suspects after successfully pulling off an identical, but better-executed, hijacking in Utah just five months later.Who Is D.B. Cooper? New Evidence May Crack One Of America's Greatest Mysteries (Cowboy State Daily, 23 Nov 2024) summary
- McCoy’s children, Chanté and Richard III, or “Rick,” agree with Gryder that they believe their father was D.B. CooperWho Is D.B. Cooper? New Evidence May Crack One Of America's Greatest Mysteries (Cowboy State Daily, 23 Nov 2024) summary
Against- But McCoy was later ruled out because he didn’t match the nearly identical physical descriptions of Cooper provided by two flight attendants and for other reasons.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- Yet the FBI never found the allegations credible, as multiple Cooper witnesses denied that a mugshot of McCoy resembled Cooper, he had a credible alibi through college attendance records, and an affidavit had been provided by his children’s babysitter.Could New Evidence Solve the D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery? Some Longtime Researchers Aren't Convinced (The Debrief) summary
Debunked 1refuted by the evidence
The hijacker went by the name D.B. Cooper.Refuted by
Where did “D.B.” come from? It was apparently a myth created by the press. We did question a man with the initials “D.B.” but he wasn’t the hijacker.
refuted2 against3 pointsThe claim rested on- Optimistic that the case would be solved quickly, the U.S. Attorney’s office opened the file under this placeholder name, and D.B. Cooper was never found.D.B. Cooper: U.S. Attorney's Case File, 1971 (National Archives at Seattle) primary
Refuted by- Where did “D.B.” come from? It was apparently a myth created by the press. We did question a man with the initials “D.B.” but he wasn’t the hijacker.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- He bought his $20 ticket using the name “Dan Cooper,” but an early wire-service report misidentified him as “D.B. Cooper” and the name stuckD.B. Cooper: FBI closes notorious unsolved skyjacking case (Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2016) summary
Unresolved 3no settled answer
Whether Cooper survived the jump is unknown.▰▰▰▱▱ likely4 points
Supports- The pilots landed safely, but Cooper had disappeared into the night and his ultimate fate remains a mystery to this day.D.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- Perhaps Cooper didn’t survive his jump from the plane. After all, the parachute he used couldn’t be steered, his clothing and footwear were unsuitable for a rough landing, and he had jumped into a wooded area at nightD.B. Cooper Hijacking (FBI, Famous Cases and Criminals) authoritative
- Mr. Carr eventually came to question whether the skyjacker survived the plunge, as his parachute wasn’t steerable.D.B. Cooper: FBI closes notorious unsolved skyjacking case (Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2016) summary
- Himmelsbach believed Cooper probably hadn't even gotten his chute open and had plunged to his death, winding up buried by the impact on the forest floor in the Cascade Mountains.How the Hunt for D.B. Cooper Worked (HowStuffWorks) summary
DNA from Cooper's tie did not match a suspect, but that does not necessarily rule the suspect out, because investigators do not know whether the DNA is the hijacker's; the tie carries three different DNA samples.▰▰▱▱▱ likelysummary-sourced3 points
Supports- The FBI says DNA found on the tie of hijacker D.B. Cooper does not match a new suspect in the case.FBI: DNA test did not match D.B. Cooper suspect (NBC News) summary
- Special Agent Fred Gutt cautioned that the test does not necessarily rule out the deceased suspect because investigators do not know whether DNA on the tie is that of the hijacker.FBI: DNA test did not match D.B. Cooper suspect (NBC News) summary
- Gutt said there are three different DNA samples on the tie and that it's possible it had been used previously by other people.FBI: DNA test did not match D.B. Cooper suspect (NBC News) summary
After two years of forensic testing, the FBI returned the McCoy parachute to Richard McCoy III in December 2025 without offering any specific conclusion.▰▰▱▱▱ likelysummary-sourced4 points
Supports- Now, after two years of forensic testing, the agency returned the parachute to Richard McCoy’s son, Richard III, in December.FBI's 'One-In-A-Billion' Parachute Returns (Cowboy State Daily, 22 Feb 2026) summary
- “She [the FBI agent] was not able to offer any specific conclusion,” Richard told Cowboy State Daily.FBI's 'One-In-A-Billion' Parachute Returns (Cowboy State Daily, 22 Feb 2026) summary
- Cooper suspect Richard McCoy’s family property was seized and tested by the FBI, then quietly returned in December, 2025, without explanation.FBI's 'One-In-A-Billion' Parachute Returns (Cowboy State Daily, 22 Feb 2026) summary
- Richard McCoy III, who has since provided the FBI with his own DNA sample, was told by the agent that they are working with a degraded sample with only about seven of the 23 markers needed to confirm a match.FBI's 'One-In-A-Billion' Parachute Returns (Cowboy State Daily, 22 Feb 2026) summary
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