D.B. Cooper was the name the press gave an unidentified man who bought a ticket as Dan Cooper, hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305 on November 24, 1971, and parachuted from the plane with ransom money. The FBI has never identified him or established whether he survived. Despite the “Top 14” label, there is no official FBI ranking of fourteen suspects; the evidence-backed account is narrower, and one popular suspect, Richard Floyd McCoy, was ruled out.
Who was D.B. Cooper?
The hijacker used the name Dan Cooper when he bought a one-way ticket from Portland to Seattle. “D.B.” appears to have come from a press myth: the man did not use those initials, and an unrelated person known as D.B. was questioned but was not the hijacker. The FBI still lists the man’s identity as unknown. FBI case history; FBI account of the name.
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What happened on Flight 305?
- Portland, November 24, 1971: Shortly after 3 p.m., the man passed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb. He showed what appeared to be wires and red sticks, then demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills. The record establishes what he displayed and claimed, not whether the device was an actual explosive. FBI case history.
- Seattle: The passengers were released in exchange for the ransom and parachutes. Some crew members remained aboard as the plane took off again toward Mexico City. FBI case history.
- During the second leg: A little after 8 p.m., somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Cooper jumped from the rear of the aircraft with a parachute and the money. The plane landed safely; Cooper was not found. FBI case history.
What does the evidence establish?
The recovered ransom
In 1980, a young boy found a rotting package containing $5,800 in twenty-dollar bills. The serial numbers matched the ransom money. That confirms that a small portion of the ransom was recovered; it does not identify who found or buried it, establish where Cooper landed, or prove that he died. FBI historical account.
The jump and the possibility he died
The FBI describes the parachute Cooper used as not steerable and his clothing and footwear as poorly suited to a rough landing. Those facts make death during the jump a possibility, not a proven outcome. The agency says his ultimate fate remains a mystery. FBI case history.
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Why there is no reliable “Top 14” ranking
The FBI’s historical account says investigators had considered more than 800 suspects by the five-year anniversary. That figure describes the scale of the search, not a ranked shortlist. The FBI has not published an official list of fourteen theories or endorsed a definitive suspect. A forum-maintained list documents names that circulate among enthusiasts; it does not validate the claims or show that investigators accepted them. FBI historical account; enthusiast suspect list.
For that reason, presenting fourteen names as comparable, evidence-backed answers would overstate what is known. The available sources substantiate discussion of McCoy and the fact that several other names circulate, but they do not establish the case details needed to responsibly profile or rank thirteen additional people. A useful theory comparison would require independent support for the suspect’s resemblance to witness descriptions, whereabouts on November 24, 1971, relevant parachuting or aviation experience, and the provenance and corroboration of the claim. A later personal account or similarity in method is not, by itself, identification.
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Was Richard McCoy D.B. Cooper?
No. Richard Floyd McCoy carried out a similar airplane hijacking and parachute escape less than five months later, which helped make him a recurring suspect. But the FBI says it ruled him out: he did not match the two flight attendants’ nearly identical physical descriptions, among other reasons. Similarity between the crimes does not override that official conclusion. FBI case history.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the D.B. Cooper case still being investigated?
On July 8, 2016, after a 45-year investigation, the FBI redirected resources to other investigative priorities. The agency said it had reviewed credible leads, coordinated searches, collected evidence, and interviewed identified witnesses without obtaining proof for a definitive identification. It said it would no longer actively investigate the case, while asking people with specific physical evidence related to the parachutes or stolen money to contact a local FBI field office. This is the status described in the FBI’s July 2016 statement; it should not be read as confirmation of a later update. FBI Seattle Field Office, July 12, 2016.
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