D B Cooper Unsolved Skyjacking

[low_pull1 2]

that will do

[low_pull1 2]

is there a contest to see which forum gets the most posts?

[happythoughts 0]

Remember your loafers.

If anyone asks, just tell them that you keep the extra shoes in the trunk 'cause you do CRW.

(edited to add:)
1- keep your arms across your chest during exit.
rotator cuff injuries.

2- don't ask them to put you out at the D B Cooper exit speed. regular speed will be enough to get the picture.

3- i am so missing 10-way.

4- take me... i'll be a "technical advisor" or something.

[skypuppy 1]

The person who suggested that maybe it was a confederate of Mayfield who called had a good idea, however, if this was the case, the confederate might have wanted to call while Mayfield was still in the air as to make his alibi even more rock solid.
_________________________________________________

Maybe the confederate was supposed to pick him up and get him to a phone to call, but when he hadn't showed up by 0-dark-30, said confederate went to plan 'b' , got to a phone to make the call, then returned to find him. (or had other confederates out looking while he made the call)....

It's all just speculation, but not knowing him, I'd like to think whoever got away with it did get some satisfaction out of the money.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[skyjack71 0]

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Jo, are you aware that "Mouse "is earl cossey's nickname?

Interesting!

I have a reason for "Mouse" - and of course some have taken my poor Mouse and made stories that are vulgar and distasteful....but he only reflects on himself..

"Mouse - he just might come back and pay that guy a visit - when he is least expecting it. Chutes make pretty good nesting material don't they?"

[Ckret 0]

I got a call yesterday from one of the guys who did the jumps from the 727 for the movie "Pursuit of DB Cooper" said they jumped at 150 knots and that was as fast as they would go. I don't know if the studio capped the speed or they did, but my impression from talking to him was 150 knots was as much as any of them wanted to jump at.

[Orange1 0]

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1- keep your arms across your chest during exit.
rotator cuff injuries.

seriously? i thought that was just to keep flailing arms out of the TM's way! I have learnt something new
ckret, that idea of doing a tandem out of a jet is brilliant and i'd be surprised if the DZ doesn't do it for free or a bit of publicity, but it will be well worth your own money if need be

dbcoopercatcher has gone quiet, still want to hear his views on why he thinks mayfield... esp now that jerry has posted -->facts

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[frynsky 0]

"In 1971, was it possible to plug-in the the phone lines to make a call like the the Bell linemen used to do? was this suspect familiar with phone technology? " He could have plugged into any splice box, cross box, or a demarc box(on the side of every house/bldg) if he had a "butt-in" test set, which are very commonplace, every phone tech has one. IF he had the knowledge. And I could probably give you enough knowledge on how to do it in under 10 minutes....

[happythoughts 0]

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Quote

1- keep your arms across your chest during exit.
rotator cuff injuries.

seriously? i thought that was just to keep flailing arms out of the TM's way! I have learnt something new

Two different scenarios.

For a standard tandem, the reason is to keep the passengers arms from doing two things.
1- Grabbing the door frame and freaking out.
(Like putting a cat in the sink for a bath)
2- A flailing passenger can be a nuisance to stability, at the least, or a danger.

On high speed exits on tailgate aircraft, you go from zero to aircraft speed in an instant. If your arms are out when you hit that, it yanks your arms past the comfort zone.

High speed passes on CASAs can hurt. A jet jump at 150 is a lot.

If you have had past shoulder problems, it is just a good precaution on a general basis.

At WFFC, there was a standard 155mph jet pass and also a high speed pass at 175. The high speed pass wasn't any more fun, just a "been there, done that" type of thing.

At 155, the wind flings you around for a moment.
You just have to accept that and get your orientation back after a moment.

[JerryBaumchen 1,304]

Hi low,

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JerryBaumchen ...who do u think did it...ur wildest guess...due to what u know.....u must have one prefer the guess u had before reading this thread!

First, I try to not offer 'what I think' on the internet. I do try (at least I think that I try) to only offer what I know or very strongly believe in.

I have absolutely no idea who did it; before or after reading all of this BS.

I am convinced that Mayfield did not do it. Why? Because he (IMO) does not fit the sketch, he really is not that bright of a person (could not rob a Mon'n'Pop grocery store & get away with it), and has never had that much money to his name. Oh, did I mention that I have known him since 1964?

As I have mentioned before, not too long after the skyjacking, the FBI interviewed me at work for about an hour or so. I came away from that interview with one conclusion; the FBI had NO IDEA who did it. I think that conclusion is still valid.

I consider all of this to be a real waste of time; unless one is in it for the fun & games.

JerryBaumchen

[normiss 733]

I have a hard time believing it was possible to feel one person leave the plane. Having jumped the DC-9, with 80-something people leaving, you really don't feel it.
It could easily have been air turbulence felt by the crew, no?
The stairs were down when the plane landed, but not locked, correct? Was it a simple hydraulic lock system when fully extended?

[BGill 0]

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I have a hard time believing it was possible to feel one person leave the plane. Having jumped the DC-9, with 80-something people leaving, you really don't feel it.
It could easily have been air turbulence felt by the crew, no?
The stairs were down when the plane landed, but not locked, correct? Was it a simple hydraulic lock system when fully extended?

What you are referring to is a matter of opinion on what you think would be noticeable. Ckret said they recreated the jump using the same exact aircraft and with the same flight crew that mentioned the bump in the first place. They tried every other option possible, but the only way to accurately recreate what they felt was to make the sled leave the steps. I think the recreation they did would be fairly accurate.

[awsee1 0]

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I am convinced that Mayfield did not do it. Why? Because he (IMO) does not fit the sketch,........

JerryBaumchen

Doesn't fit which sketch ???

[peckerhead 0]

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Hi low,

Quote

JerryBaumchen ...who do u think did it...ur wildest guess...due to what u know.....u must have one prefer the guess u had before reading this thread!

First, I try to not offer 'what I think' on the internet. I do try (at least I think that I try) to only offer what I know or very strongly believe in.

I have absolutely no idea who did it; before or after reading all of this BS.

I am convinced that Mayfield did not do it. Why? Because he (IMO) does not fit the sketch, he really is not that bright of a person (could not rob a Mon'n'Pop grocery store & get away with it), and has never had that much money to his name. Oh, did I mention that I have known him since 1964?

As I have mentioned before, not too long after the skyjacking, the FBI interviewed me at work for about an hour or so. I came away from that interview with one conclusion; the FBI had NO IDEA who did it. I think that conclusion is still valid.

I consider all of this to be a real waste of time; unless one is in it for the fun & games.

JerryBaumchen

You are right Jerry, Teddy was not very good at getting away with things. He always got caught....

I think it is pretty obvious who did it

[stratostar 5]

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I think it is pretty obvious who did it,

Yea jerry pretty obvious who did it.....hope your not still posting your mug shots online.



That Mickey Mouse left all broken hearted and depressed over the slut Minnie running off with Mighty Mouse to Mexico to deal blow to gringos.....but one day he'll get that Mighty Mouse......he will I tell ya!

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[skyjack71 0]

The clasp was described as a stick pin or tie tack previously and now it seems it was a clasp....Does anyone except myself find this ODD?

if the stewardess saw him look at his watch and Tina sat beside him - she must have taken note of the watch. Was it yellow gold with a band of gold and alligator looking links? Was it a gold mesh band with a rectangular face? Was it an altimeter watch?

Like the rain coat that was seldom ever mentioned.
It has been called a trench coat, but it wasn't it was just a light weight tradtional nylon with a lining - black or blue.


All of these things ARE important. Did the FBI ask the right questions then or now?

When Tina was alone with Cooper - there was other conversation that took place - not just the things she wrote down.

The handwriting on the paper - did it appear written left handed or right handed. Duane's written word was slanted, but his printing was indistinguishable from being either left of right.

There are lots of question that only the stewardess could answer. It is about time that you did go see both stewardesses yourself. You should take multiple pictures of suspects and composites.
That last picture of Duane frowning in 1960 definitely needs to be shown.

but happy as he crawled down that aft stairs - he knew not what fate awaited him, but Tina sent him with God's word and he never forgot that.

[bystander1 0]

Hi

I didn't know about D.B. Cooper until a couple of days ago when I read an article about the case in a German newspaper; the reason the case was in the news was because the FBI had decided to make a new effort of resolving it.

By now I have spent a couple of hours reading this board and frankly ...

What surprises me most is that D.B Cooper/Richard McCoy is not discussed here.

So my main question is: did I miss something which rules out Richard McCoy other than the eyewitness Florence Schaffner? (Still not clear to me whether Florence Schaffner has ever met Richard McCoy in person).


Here
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=146269&page=7
is a lenghy discussion of the case.

Here an exemplary post of somebody who seems to know a lot about the case:

05-28-2006, 11:14 PM #98
Awsi Dooger
Senior Member
Member




Join Date: Feb 18, 2003
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 1,199

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a paste job of post #8 in my original Richard McCoy thread on this forum. I thought that would be the primary DB Cooper thread but this has taken over, so I'll copy the info here. Most of it does not appear in this thread:

The D.B Cooper/Richard McCoy similarities

*Both skyjackers used small-aircraft FAA flight-plan forms to send typewritten instructions to the pilot's cabin designating flight path, altitude, flap settings, and speed (such as 10,000 feet, landing gear down, flaps lowered to 15 degrees).

Let me stop here for emphasis. That info was not released following the D.B. Cooper jump. And the FBI reportedly has no other record of a hijacker using such forms and being so specific, instead of merely "take me to Cuba" or "give me $200,000 in small bills." What were the odds of Richard McCoy miraculously duplicating D.B. Cooper's detailed and unique method of operation, if the skyjackers were not one in the same?

*Both men instructed that all written materials be returned.

*Both used the exact phrase "No funny stuff!" in their typewritten instructions.

*Both were obviously familiar with aviation, and correctly used the term "interphone" rather than "telephone."

*Both allowed all but one stewardess to deplane with passengers, and instructed the remaining stewardess to sit near him and deliver notes to the pilot.

*Shortly before jumping, both skyjackers ordered the remaining stewardess to turn off all cabin lights and then go forward into the pilot's cabin.

*Both instructed the fuel truck to be in the identical position, to the left of the plane's nose, in open view approximately 100 feet from the plane.

*Both wore a dark-brown business suit, white shirt, and tie.

*Both skyjackers sat in the identical place in the plane, the last row of seats in the coach section to the right side of the aisle.

*Both wore large, mirrored, dark reflector or wraparound sunglasses at least part of the time.

*Both demanded four parachutes, and made specific requests that indicated they were familiar with military chutes and how they were packed.

*Witnesses described D.B. Cooper as olive-complected, possibly Spanish, generally between 30 and 50. Approximately 5'10" and weighing 160-170 pounds. He had short black shiny hair, probably a wig, with sideburns below his earlobes and large protruding ears.

Richard McCoy was pegged at 5'10" and 170 pounds, generally in his late 20s to mid-40s. McCoy wore a dark wig, with a headband underneath to partially suppress his protruding ears. He had heavy, dark makeup and dark mascara on his long sideburns and mustache. Several witnesses thought him Spanish. (When arrested just days after the second skyjacking, McCoy was 29 yeards old, 5'10" and 170 pounds. With a receding hairline, a wiry look and some hardness to his face, McCoy appears much older -- 40ish to me -- in every picture in the book).

*Both skyjackers tried to secure the money bag to their bodies, and used the specialized term "D rings" when describing what they needed to fasten the bag.

*Both skyjackers demanded a specific flight route that paralleled a major north-south interstate freeway -- Cooper had Interstate 5 and the lights of Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon to orient himself while jumping, while McCoy had Interstate 15 and the lights of Provo, Utah plus Utah Lake for bearings.

*A patched letter, using words and sentences clipped from magazines, was sent to the Los Angeles Times in December 1971, saying: "I got away with it, as I knew I would, and will never be caught by the FBI -- signed D.B. Cooper." The day the letter was postmarked in Los Angeles, Richard McCoy was there with the Utah Air National Guard unit.

*Following McCoy's arrest, the FBI found newspaper articles about Cooper in McCoy's green Volkswagen and a file of Cooper clippings in his home.

*Between November 25, 1970 and April 5, 1972, Richard McCoy had his Volkswagen serviced at Peterson Motors in Provo. Each time the vehicle was repaired or serviced, a conscientious mechanic recorded the mileage. McCoy's mileage was very consistent, averaging 33 1/2 miles per day. Only between the visits of October 30, 1971 and November 30, 1971 was there a significant increase, accounting for an additional 860 miles than would be projected. The round-trip drive from Provo to Las Vegas was approximately 820 miles. And the D.B. Cooper flight was on November 24, 1971.

*D.B. Cooper needed instructions on how to open the aft cabin door and lower the rear stairs. Four months later, Richard McCoy managed all by himself. Gee, I wonder how he knew?

[Ckret 0]

None of the witnesses mentioned a watch

You can see the tie clasp for yourself at FBI.gov. It was never a stick pin, it's always been a tie clasp.

[Ckret 0]

The only thing Cooper wrote was the original note that said Miss I have a bomb come sit by me. The rest was dictated by Cooper to Schaffner who then took the demands to the captain.

The witnesses never mentioned Cooper used the term interphone.

Cooper never gave instructions to the positioning of the fuel truck.

It's my understanding McCoy brought his own chute, I'll check on that.

Cooper was described as 45 to 50, no one described his hair looked like a wig.

Cooper never mentioned using the D rings to attach the money to, in fact his chute did not have D rings

Cooper did not demand a flight path.

The problems I have with McCoy is he was fair skin with blue eyes, Cooper dark skin with brown eyes. McCoy in his late 20's, Cooper was 45 to 50. McCoy talked about the hijacking well before doing it, which was his undoing, Cooper apparently did not.

For McCoy to have been Cooper he would have had to have had help at the drop zone. There is no indications Cooper would have known where he was when he jumped, or knew to the point he would have been able to link at a predetermined spot, which would preclude him from having help on the ground.

[NickDG 23]

"Miss I have a bomb come sit by me."

My new bar pick up line . . .

NickD

[Orange1 0]

IIRC McCoy had a rock solid alibi for the time of the DB Cooper hijacking?

and surely it's hardly surprising he had clippings of the Cooper case, given what he went on to do?

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[SafecrackingPLF 0]

From what I remember from the book, McCoy explained that he actually began by doing a report on how weak airline security was. The Cooper stuff became almost a blueprint in how to pull it off, and McCoy, having researched all he could, actually had a much better plan than Cooper... except as Ckret said, he happened to mention this research to others.

I'm not sure about this air-tight alibi of McCoy, but being in his 20s and having blue eyes completely disqualifies him.

As for hijacking a similar plane, the 727 was the only aircraft at the time that had suitable stairs for a jump that could be lowered during flight. The difference between the two 727s was their size.

The authors of the book were sued because they twisted facts and made up statements that were never, apparently made. I believe the suit was settled out of court.

[low_pull1 2]

does dna support this?

[low_pull1 2]

airline security was
..........

and still is

[happythoughts 0]

McCoy

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The hijacker opened his luggage and covered the peephole between the cockpit and cabin. Observed by Second Officer Floyd Smith (fictitious name) through a slight space under the cockpit door, the hijacker quickly put on a jumpsuit, helmet, and parachute. Once he had shut off the cabin lights to better view the ground, the gunman demanded to be kept abreast of wind, ground, and air speeds; altimeter settings; and sky conditions.

One of the things that I found interesting is that he carried some gear in his luggage.

The other thing was that he shut off the cabin lights to view the ground. It just hit me as humorous that he was "spotting" for a 727.

"Can you give me 5 left?"


It seems like half the people with under 200 jumps can't find the stupid airport in the daylight without GPS.
Just 'cause the green light comes on, it doesn't mean that you have to go.

There is an kind of odd respect for someone who can accurately spot at night through the window of a jet.
It's a skill, even if it is not legally applied.