D.B. Cooper Mystery, page 1

Jump

Northwest Airlines decided to cooperate with the hijacker, and contacted the FBI for assistance. The airline handled gathering the parachutes, while the FBI gathered the ransom cash.

All of the ten-thousand $20 bills were photographed with a high-speed Recordak machine to create a microfilm later to be used to prepare a list of serial numbers. Two of the parachutes, both chest-mounted reserve chutes, were from Issaquah Skyport, which was owned by Linn Emirch, and the two main backpack parachutes were provided by Earl Cossey, an FAA Master Parachute Rigger and parachuting instructor, from his home.

At 5:39, the Jet finally landed in Seattle. The only people allowed near the plane were those who were allowed to fuel it, and those handling the cash and parachutes from Seattle's First National Bank. Ironically Earl Cossey, who rigged the parachutes said this. “He jumped with the parachute I packed, but he obviously didn’t know what he was doing.”

After the money and parachutes were brought aboard, the 35 other passengers, along with 2 of the stewardesses - Schaffner and Hancock - were released. The man in 18E instructed the plane to take off again. He directed that the plane's route pass over Portland and Medford in Oregon, and Red Bluff, California, before landing in Reno, Nevada, to refuel. Then, on to Yuma, Arizona, to refuel again, and then head to Mexico. He also instructed the pilots that the aircraft was to remain below 10,000 feet, maintain minimal airspeed, and keep flaps and landing gear lowered.

Researcher Geoffrey Grays book SkyJack had an interesting tidbit that contradicts Earl Cossey statement that DB Cooper "didn't know what he was doing." In his book, Ralph Himmelsbach the case agent figured:

Himmelsbach also considers another detail. The request to have the plane flown at the altitude of 10,000 feet was telling. At 10,000 feet, the cabin would not be pressurized. If Cooper cracked the rear door of the jet, he would not get sucked out. Clearly, the man the agents were after knew airplanes.

Sometime during the Hijacking, Northwest contacted Boeing to see if it was even possible to jump out of the plane, at that altitude, with the back open.

Engineers there inform them that the Boeing 727 was used by Air America, the CIA cutout, in Vietnam. “The plane has been flown this way. There’s been large boxes of two to three thousand pounds dropped through the door in this configuration.”

There was also fuel concerns.

Under the configurations the hijacker wants—flaps at fifteen degrees, landing gear down—the jet will be moving extremely slowly. The fuel burn will be tremendous. The Northwest pilots will need to land several times to make it to the Mexican border.

Obviously, DB Cooper was a man who prepared for this Hijacking. Even if he didn't jump, which I believe was his plan all along, he had enough knowledge to know he would have to land and refuel many times due to the speed and altitude.

As Captain Scott gets final clearances, DB Cooper calls from the rear of the plane. "Let’s get the show on the road.” Ms Tina Mucklow, Stewardess, is forced to help DB Cooper as the rest of the folks left on board are hurried into the cabin. The plane was airborne at 7:34 PM. Tina showed DB Cooper how to operate the aft stairs. DB Coopers last instructions were to close the curtains between coach and first class, and head to the Cockpit. Her last glimpse of Cooper was him tying the money bag around his waist.