WA WA - D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery, 24 Nov 1971 #4

[CaMan60]

He may have actually jumped a lot further south, WAY further south than assumed. The area of the (presumed) jump has been searched repeatedly and nothing of Cooper has been found, nor has any of the money turned up in circulation.

By jumping further south he could have jumped in a more open area with few trees. About 10 years ago a guy who looked about 45 with a light hair color. Said to me he was D.B. cooper.
So maybe his last name was also Cooper, and I said the skyjacker would Not survive because, the jump would be like jumping into a tornado. He said something like... Ya like jumping into Two Tornado's.
Now we are into 2026 and there are more details in
the recent article in Popular Mechanics. And the You Tuber who has shown the real suspect and why he (DB Cooper) was not charged.

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

By jumping further south he could have jumped in a more open area with few trees. About 10 years ago a guy who looked about 45 with a light hair color. Said to me he was D.B. cooper.
So maybe his last name was also Cooper, and I said the skyjacker would Not survive because, the jump would be like jumping into a tornado. He said something like... Ya like jumping into Two Tornado's.
Now we are into 2026 and there are more details in
the recent article in Popular Mechanics. And the You Tuber who has shown the real suspect and why he (DB Cooper) was not charged.

I don't think there's a chance in hell that he survived. It would just be interesting to know who he was. What matter of man could outwit the sophisticated, yet perpetually incompetent US government, and why?

 

[CaMan60]

I don't think there's a chance in hell that he survived. It would just be interesting to know who he was. What matter of man could outwit the sophisticated, yet perpetually incompetent US government, and why?

The old saying goes "where there's smoke, there's fire". In this case there is a smoke screen of Misinformation to get through.
The idea of him jumping over a forest doesn't make sense. And we know the plane was going to land once for refueling before making the trip to Mexico. So he could have held off on making the jump until it was safe to jump. Because "It's Not Jumping that will kill ya It's the landing"

 

[snarast]

The old saying goes "where there's smoke, there's fire". In this case there is a smoke screen of Misinformation to get through.
The idea of him jumping over a forest doesn't make sense. And we know the plane was going to land once for refueling before making the trip to Mexico. So he could have held off on making the jump until it was safe to jump. Because "It's Not Jumping that will kill ya It's the landing"

So you’re saying that the information about when he jumped is in fact misinformation?

 

[CaMan60]

So you’re saying that the information about when he jumped is in fact misinformation?

Yes, Because he got... away. A simple search online is showing a mountain of information in this case.
One solid clue is the money found by a Youth in the sand on the banks of the river. It came from the plane and we know DB Cooper removed some money from the ( Duffel money bag ) showed it to crew members and put it under his jacket.
So when the plane was crossing the river a bundle fall out, landed in the river and was uncovered 9 years later.
The location where he jumped must have been planned for. Through observing the lights of the city and towns he knew
when to jump. Since the plane was on a flight path.
This opinion is IMHO.

 

[kemo]

The FBI has a pretty good idea where he jumped based on the “bump” of the airplane and it was over the flat farmland/pasture north of Vancouver Wa. A dead body would have been found quickly but none was; DB survived and got clean away. The found on the riverside; two bundles of bills right next to each other, could not have been there as a result of natural drift. Someone put them there. Has there been a lot of official Misinformation? Very possible but official sources are all we have to go on.

Yes, Because he got... away. A simple search online is showing a mountain of information in this case.
One solid clue is the money found by a Youth in the sand on the banks of the river. It came from the plane and we know DB Cooper removed some money from the ( Duffel money bag ) showed it to crew members and put it under his jacket.
So when the plane was crossing the river a bundle fall out, landed in the river and was uncovered 9 years later.
The location where he jumped must have been planned for. Through observing the lights of the city and towns he knew
when to jump. Since the plane was on a flight path.
This opinion is IMHO.

 

[CaMan60]

The FBI has a pretty good idea where he jumped based on the “bump” of the airplane and it was over the flat farmland/pasture north of Vancouver Wa. A dead body would have been found quickly but none was; DB survived and got clean away.

Okay this is good information. Some writers implied he was jumping into darkness over heavily wooded areas. The flight path maps do show him over farmland areas.
With all the planning that went into the skyjack he must have picked the time and place to jump so that he could "safely" land on the ground with the money. Can we question the "bump" from a 200lb man exiting a 3 jet engines airliner. The area south of Vancouver Wa. over Oregon also has farmland with many city and towns lights for checking location before jumping at night with mild weather.
Add MOO and IMHO

 

[Aegon_the_Conqueror]

Yes, Because he got... away. A simple search online is showing a mountain of information in this case.
One solid clue is the money found by a Youth in the sand on the banks of the river. It came from the plane and we know DB Cooper removed some money from the ( Duffel money bag ) showed it to crew members and put it under his jacket.
So when the plane was crossing the river a bundle fall out, landed in the river and was uncovered 9 years later.
The location where he jumped must have been planned for. Through observing the lights of the city and towns he knew
when to jump. Since the plane was on a flight path.
This opinion is IMHO.

That was the ONLY money ever recovered. The rest never made it into circulation. The serial numbers were distributed worldwide yet none have ever been detected by any bank or ATM machine, which records serial numbers in order to detect fraud and counterfeiting.

 

[kemo]

This was the 1970’s. There was no technology available to read or record serial numbers. Bills circulated and we eventually “retired”; ie burned without the serial number ever being recorded or checked. Nobody knows for sure that the bills were negotiated but there is no evidence that they were not.

 

[CaMan60]

found on the riverside; two bundles of bills right next to each other, could not have been there as a result of natural drift.

We can read about and see pictures of the bundles of bills online. And many ideas about this money uncovered at Tina Bar. It has been checked and confirmed only, to have it discovered as if a Buried Pirates Treasure.
Another angle and idea discussed is, Why he buried it at that beach.
He got rid of 2 bundles to be done with it.
It could have become damaged and marked up over the years since the skyjacking.
So he thought of a good place while on a fishing trip. It has been said he chose the Rivers Beach to distract from the search for him and cover his escape. A Pirate could jump in a Boat to make his escape out to sea.
A MOO IMHO

 

[kemo]

I’ve never been to the area around Tina bar where the two bundles of bills ($6000) were found. It is my understanding that this private land at the end of a dirt road past farmland just west of Vancouver Wa. In cold weather months, when the skyjacking occurred, there was generally no one around. In the summer, there owner of the property allowed friends to have a key to the gate and access the beach area for picnics and camping. Apparently in the 70’s, there was a stream of friends, and friends of friends, who accessed the property. It was not “open to the public”. It was a family who was on the property “with permission” who found the money. The area was pretty well searched and no other bills were found. The choice of that particular property and the placing of two bundles bills in that spot is interesting and a potential clue.

Someone unfamiliar with the area may have stumbled on the property right after the hijacking and thought the area was deserted and would be a safe place to bury a “stash”. Someone more familiar with the area may have expected someone using the beach area in the summer to find the bills and may have hoped it would be some kind of a diversion or misdirection. During the hijacking, DB (jokingly, I would assume) offered the stewardess,Tina Mucklow, some of the money. Perhaps leaving some money at a place named “Tena Bar” was some kind of a joke. This would suggest a lot of familiarity with the area around Portland-Vancouver.

It would seem strange to me that someone would had just come in procession of over $100,000 would bury a fraction of that at a random spot. We there any landmarks it identify the exact spot so that he could retrieve the bills years later? From what I can tell, there were not but I haven’t seen the area. If there was no reasonable chance that he could find the money, I would assume that he expected the money to be found and identified as being from the hijacking. The would strongly suggest he was very familiar with the area and probably lived in the Portland metro area.

 

[GatorsNorth]

IDK. My thoughts are that DB jumped and got away with the skyjacking. But that could be because I grew up in that era and believed in “sticking it to the man.”

 

[CaMan60]

would strongly suggest he was very familiar with the area and probably lived in the Portland metro area.

It looks like only DB Cooper could have buried the money at the place called "Tena Bar"
As confusing as it is for us to figure out, it could have been a pain in the neck for him .
He had to decide what to do next with what remained of the money at the time.
He must have felt like the money had become a burden to him. Maybe he was moving to a new home and could no longer keep it with him or nearby.
A Pirate may have Buried treasure before going into a harbor or hiding things that could be traced. So the beach sand is easier to dig and close to transportation. However DB Cooper didn't care much about what people thought of him he was more motivated by what was best for himself. So while on the beach he started digging in the sand and knowing he could Not keep the money with him any longer he buried it deep thinking no one could find or use it again. For this reason you may be right and probably lived in the Portland area.
again IMHO

 

[Richard]

Photo of some of the found bills related to the "D.B. Cooper" hijacking case.

 

[Richard]

Photos of parachutes, necktie, and other items left on the aircraft by the hijacker who called himself "Dan Cooper", along with composite drawings can be seen at the link below.

LINK:

https://www.historylink.org/Content/Media/Photos/Large/unused-parachute-given-as-random-to-d-b-cooper.jpg

 

[CaMan60]

Someone put them there.

After many years few facts remain with some good possibilities for the 6 thousand dollars
Yes, It Is hijack money
No, No we don't know how long it was buried.
Maybe, The location of Tena Bar is a clue.
The beach is across from a huge ship dock bordering the state line with Washington state. It's not a big deal to get there but it was a big deal to him and what he was planning at the time.

Here is a classic phrase that everybody knows
You got big dreams
You want fame. Well fame costs and right here is where you start paying

Yes, He buried the money
No, He was not saving it buried there, and he was not going to retrieve it much later.
Maybe, He decided there was a better way of making money because the sky-diving
at night almost killed him. Than to remind him he would be 6 feet under or near to dying, He
buried the 6 thousand dollars. Which is a big deal and he could have bet his life on his
decision to walk away from the idea of any other crime. Just walk away and I bet he ran.
IHMO

 

[GracefulD1an]

Hehe. I have such a theory on who D.B Cooper was. I have looked at the potential Canadian angle and also have considered if he is Metis or of indigenous ancestry who passed as Italian in heritage. I have posted that I wrote a paper on him speculating he is from one of the Prairie Provinces (looking especially at Manitoba as Winnipeg has a large Italian population which would make it easy for a Metis to get lost and wiggle out of the school system) who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and studied aeronautical design engineering at a school in Ontario before getting hired at one of the big plane manufacturers. I am 50-50 on if he survived or not. I mean if he survived I imagine he took the bulk of the money with him to British Columbia where he had the money converted to Canadian dollars and invested it somewhere in that part of Canada (maybe a winery? If he planted a vineyard in the Okanagan Valley in the 70s-80s and those grapes became wine he could have been among the pioneers of vineyards owners and wine makers preparing British Columbian wine from Vitis vinifera)