PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Fifty-two years after a plane heading to Seattle was hijacked by a man known as D.B. Cooper, an amateur investigator is leading a new search for evidence — claiming more details in the unsolved case have been revealed.
Amateur investigator, Eric Ulis, claims new information was revealed by the Seattle air traffic controller who managed the skyjacked Northwest Orient Flight 305, two US Air Force F-106 chase jets, and an Oregon Air National Guard T-33 during the 1971 skyjacking.
The search comes years after no trace of DB Cooper has ever turned up — no parachute, briefcase, clothing or body.
On Oct. 26, small search team led by Ulis will search a “treacherous” tree-and blackberry-lined trench where it is believed Cooper’s parachute may have been dumped.
Ulis says the trench is near the location where money connected to the heist was found in 1980. The cash was found on the banks of the Columbia River west of downtown Vancouver by 8-year-old Brian Ingram — discovering $20 bills with serial numbers traced to Cooper’s ransom, a total of $5,800.
“It is clear to me that DB Cooper actually landed much closer to the 1980 money find spot than originally believed,” Ulis said. “I am absolutely certain that the heavy parachute DB Cooper jumped with is still near where the man landed 52 years ago.”
He added “we are searching in the correct area and will find the parachute.”
Ulis says an analysis of the search will be presented at November’s annual CooperCon in Seattle.
During the skyjacking, Cooper slipped a flight attendant a note and claimed to have a bomb in a briefcase.
Once the jet landed in Seattle, Cooper exchanged the passengers for $200,000 and 4 parachutes, then demanded to be flown to Mexico.
The plane took off again. Once over Southwest Washington he parachuted — and vanished into history with the money.
An extensive search was concentrated around the town of Ariel and Lake Merwin, with the command post in Woodland. Soldiers from Fort Lewis scoured the remote terrain, but nothing was found.
