The Note That Hijacked an Airplane

Name: The Note That Hijacked an Airplane
Genre: Documentary

A quiet passenger with a briefcase passes a flight attendant a note indicating that he has an explosive device.

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Transcript

A passenger passed a flight attendant a note: he had a bomb.
November 24th, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper bought a one-way ticket.
The flight was Northwest Orient 305, traveling from Portland to Seattle.
The flight attendant initially assumed the note was a telephone number.
The note said there was a bomb in his briefcase, and she should sit beside him.
Later, an FBI bulletin described a heavy smoker with a low, intelligent voice.
The same bulletin noted a dark briefcase and a paper bag measured to the inch.
The threat became a transaction: $200,000 for each passenger's safe return.
He demanded ransom: a knapsack of negotiable American currency by 5:00 p.m.
The recorded demand included $200,000 and four parachutes.
Miss, sit beside me.
Below, the aircraft circled Puget Sound for about two hours. Police and the FBI assembled ransom money and parachutes.
Cooper opened the aircraft's aft door and deployed the airstair.
He parachuted somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, over southwest Washington.
The FBI maintained an active investigation for 45 years. The investigation produced photographs and an early sketch of the suspect.

The note's threat was only the beginning—Cooper wanted exactly $200,000 for the passengers' safe return.

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