Dummy chute, and briefcase is anybody's guess. I would think if he tied it to the handle, it wouldn't survive. as for the bomb being real, I don't think so. in the crew notes he made it appear that electronics could detonate the bomb. that would of not been true since he didn't have the circuit complete, and nothing electronic could of set it off.

Hunters found the placard, you would think they would of found the briefcase if it was nearby? they claim to take care of the area ridding it of trash. it also could of broke apart on impact, and someone discarded it without knowing what it was?

Dummy chute, and briefcase is anybody's guess. I would think if he tied it to the handle, it wouldn't survive. as for the bomb being real, I don't think so. in the crew notes he made it appear that electronics could detonate the bomb. that would of not been true since he didn't have the circuit complete, and nothing electronic could of set it off.

Hunters found the placard, you would think they would of found the briefcase if it was nearby? they claim to take care of the area ridding it of trash. it also could of broke apart on impact, and someone discarded it without knowing what it was?

I am not assuming the bomb was not real.  Possible, but we really don't know.  If he had a real explosive, like a stick of dynamite or TNT or whatever -- I have no expertise here -- wouldn't that still be a hazard, without electronics?  If there's a possibility of explosion, it seems he'd want to chuck it (and therefore the briefcase) asap. Also, the placard and briefcase may not necessarily be close to each other.  Then again, they could be and they just haven't found the briefcase because it's embedded so deeply in the woods or briar patches or it's at the bottom of an inaccessible canyon.  Waiting even just a couple of minutes between placard and briefcase exits from the plane would seemingly put them miles apart. If it broke apart, the contents inside might be close by.  Wouldn't it be something if it was found?  Any morsel, anything, something in the way of evidence might perk things up around here.

Meyer 

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Also consider:


So, did Coop tie everything into ONE BIG BUNDLE? Making it easier for his extraction team to find? Only needing one tracking device, too!

You mean the money bag, X chute, and briefcase, all tied together?  Or just the X chute and briefcase tied to his torso, and the money bag hanging from his waist?  Any way you do it, seems like it would be pretty bulky and awkward.  Why would he take the briefcase if it had already served its purpose, it didn't hold any, or much of, the money, it was bulky, and it may have had a potentially dangerous device -- for Cooper it just wasn't worth the risk.  I say he chucked it out the back door soon after the aft stairs deployed.  As for a tracking device -- if I read 377's post correctly, he said pocket size tracking devices were available back in 1971.  It would have been easy to place one in an inside pocket.

Meyer

Pinger type devices were available in 1971 and used in military parachutes in SEA.  ARS aircraft could home in on those pingers, and so could everyone on the other side.

Heres's a general question about the case:  What happened to the briefcase? 

That is something I have thought about occasionally.  This one thing seems to get passed over a lot.  Often, it's briefly mentioned that Cooper must have taken it with him and it's with the parachute and/or money and/or Cooper himself. 

What happened to the briefcase?   Answer:  It's still out there!  I believe it's somewhere in the vicinity of the placard find and where Cooper allegedly jumped (at 8:13), on V-23.  So, Jerry Thomas needs to assemble a search crew, get me help him, and then we need to go look for it, find it, and be forever remembered in Cooper folklore.  But wait.....I'm getting a little carried away and ahead of myself.

Reason with me:  If he really did have a bomb -- the good stuff that goes boom and kills everybody  -- then he surely wouldn't take it with him.  He most likely would dis-assemble it as harmless as was possible, then he would chuck it out the back door.  If it wasn't really a bomb, just road flares, say, he'd keep the flares (for building a fire and keeping warm in some cave after the landing) and chuck the briefcase -- because it has already served its purpose and it would only be dead weight from here on. 

But...what if Cooper took the briefcase with him?  He's already got a back chute, the X chute, and a bag of money attached to his waste.  He's already bogged down.  Question: did he just hang on to the briefcase by its handle or did he wrap his arms around it and hold it close on the jump?  Either way, in my mind's eye, he wouldn't have been able to hang on to it.  If he was hanging on to the briefcase by the handle, that 200 mph wind would have ripped the handle right off the briefcase on the jump, and the briefcase would go flailing violently into the wind and darkness.  If he was holding the briefcase close to his person, same result (I have no data to back up this claim -- I once saw a demo of guy trying to hold on to a pumpkin in the back seat of a car hitting a wall at 40 mph -- it was impossible to hold on to the pumpkin.  A different kind of energy here with the jump, but you get the idea -- all that energy all at once -- would he have been able to hang on to the briefcase?  In my humble, non-expert opinion, no). 

Besides, the well-being of the briefcase would not have been his top priority -- he was more worried about surviving the jump, getting the chute to open, not going into a violent spin, and not losing all that money.  So, either way, the briefcase most likely went flying into the darkness, violently thrown about by the wind.   

In short, no matter what Cooper decided to do with the briefcase -- chuck it before the jump or take it with him and lose it on the jump -- the briefcase went flying into the darkness, violently tossed about by the violent winds.  It most likely occurred somewhere close to the placard location and when Cooper allegedly jumped -- times we know the aft door had to be open and up to the moment he jumped.  The briefcase is still out there.  I think it will be found some day -- if it's not hopelessly buried under thick briar bushes at the bottom of some canyon  -- thereby rendering it "un-findable."

A big to do about not much....

Meyer

Notice that Cooper is very diligent about removing evidence from this crime.  He demands his handwritten note back from the cockpit, wears sunglasses for most of the flight, retrieves an empty book of matches that Tina discards and puts it in his pocket!  He is going the extra mile to leave no trace.  Be assured he takes the briefcase with him.

I maintain that Cooper planned this caper for at least a month.  He didn't jump unprepared!  He had everything he needed.  Think of the problems he could solve with just a roll of duct tape (kept in the paper bag).  He could tape his shoes to his legs, tape the briefcase to his chest, and seal off his pant legs and sleeves from the cold and rain.  You have to use your imagination and plan like a man who was intelligent and serious to understand the means Cooper may have used.  Yet, since he had 30 minutes alone in the aft section of the 727, no one realizes how well this man has prepared.  This deception is one of the reasons that after 45 years, no one knows what really happened.  (P.S. He escaped with the money).

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Heres's a general question about the case:  What happened to the briefcase? 

Notice that Cooper is very diligent about removing evidence from this crime.  He demands his handwritten note back from the cockpit, wears sunglasses for most of the flight, retrieves an empty book of matches that Tina discards and puts it in his pocket!  He is going the extra mile to leave no trace.  Be assured he takes the briefcase with him.

I maintain that Cooper planned this caper for at least a month.  He didn't jump unprepared!  He had everything he needed.  Think of the problems he could solve with just a roll of duct tape (kept in the paper bag).  He could tape his shoes to his legs, tape the briefcase to his chest, and seal off his pant legs and sleeves from the cold and rain.  You have to use your imagination and plan like a man who was intelligent and serious to understand the means Cooper may have used.  Yet, since he had 30 minutes alone in the aft section of the 727, no one realizes how well this man has prepared.  This deception is one of the reasons that after 45 years, no one knows what really happened.  (P.S. He escaped with the money).

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Diligent about everything?  How about the tip he offered Tina?  How about the tie he left behind?  How about the 8 cigarette butts he left behind?  How about not having a clue about how to get the aft stairs to deploy in flight?  That doesn't sound all that diligent to me, not to mention the little buzz he must have had from the cocktails he drank.  I don't think he was as careful and thorough as people believe.  There is a distinct possibility that he was just plain lucky in some instances.  Lady Lucky smiled down on him a couple of times for sure.  His genius, his ability to deceive and outsmart everyone, his label as a folk hero -- well, it's all helped to create the urban legend we know as DB Cooper. 

On the DZ Forum long ago, I remember some discussion about the necessity of being centered, having good center of gravity, on a jump and how important that was to preventing spin on a jump (I do not profess expertise on this topic, however).  If he duct taped the briefcase and shoes to his person -- along with the two parachutes and money bag hanging from his waist -- seems like he'd be really bogged down, unbalanced, without the proper center of gravity -- making the jump more challenging and dangerous than it already was.  I think he chucked the briefcase -- it was bulky and awkward, it had already served its purpose.  It's still out there.  In one piece?  Maybe, maybe not.

If Cooper was a highly trained special ops, creme de la creme, kind of guy -- and I think he was -- then he spent much more than a month preparing.  He spent a whole career honing specialized skills.  He was probably the best of the best at what he did.

Meyer Louie

Of course this is the center of the debate - who and what was Cooper. Maybe the correct answer is: some of all of the above depending on how you look at it. 

Notice that Cooper is very diligent about removing evidence from this crime.  He demands his handwritten note back from the cockpit, wears sunglasses for most of the flight, retrieves an empty book of matches that Tina discards and puts it in his pocket!  He is going the extra mile to leave no trace.  Be assured he takes the briefcase with him.

I maintain that Cooper planned this caper for at least a month.  He didn't jump unprepared!  He had everything he needed.  Think of the problems he could solve with just a roll of duct tape (kept in the paper bag).  He could tape his shoes to his legs, tape the briefcase to his chest, and seal off his pant legs and sleeves from the cold and rain.  You have to use your imagination and plan like a man who was intelligent and serious to understand the means Cooper may have used.  Yet, since he had 30 minutes alone in the aft section of the 727, no one realizes how well this man has prepared.  This deception is one of the reasons that after 45 years, no one knows what really happened.  (P.S. He escaped with the money).
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Diligent about everything?  How about the tip he offered Tina?  How about the tie he left behind?  How about the 8 cigarette butts he left behind?  How about not having a clue about how to get the aft stairs to deploy in flight?  That doesn't sound all that diligent to me, not to mention the little buzz he must have had from the cocktails he drank.  I don't think he was as careful and thorough as people believe.  There is a distinct possibility that he was just plain lucky in some instances.  Lady Lucky smiled down on him a couple of times for sure.  His genius, his ability to deceive and outsmart everyone, his label as a folk hero -- well, it's all helped to create the urban legend we know as DB Cooper. 

On the DZ Forum long ago, I remember some discussion about the necessity of being centered, having good center of gravity, on a jump and how important that was to preventing spin on a jump (I do not profess expertise on this topic, however).  If he duct taped the briefcase and shoes to his person -- along with the two parachutes and money bag hanging from his waist -- seems like he'd be really bogged down, unbalanced, without the proper center of gravity -- making the jump more challenging and dangerous than it already was.  I think he chucked the briefcase -- it was bulky and awkward, it had already served its purpose.  It's still out there.  In one piece?  Maybe, maybe not.

If Cooper was a highly trained special ops, creme de la creme, kind of guy -- and I think he was -- then he spent much more than a month preparing.  He spent a whole career honing specialized skills.  He was probably the best of the best at what he did.

Meyer Louie
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Diligent about everything?  How about the tip he offered Tina?
This to me just shows that Cooper is not really after the money.  His real motivation is his grudge.  He probably had coated his fingertips with something and wasn't leaving traceable fingerprints.

How about the tie he left behind?  How about the 8 cigarette butts he left behind?
I think the tie was a mistake, he meant to take it with him but probably got caught up in all the other preparations and forgot it.  In 1971, there was no such thing as DNA evidence and electron microscopes in law enforcement, so if neither item could produce fingerprints, he wasn't too concerned.

How about not having a clue about how to get the aft stairs to deploy in flight?  That doesn't sound all that diligent to me, not to mention the little buzz he must have had from the cocktails he drank.  I don't think he was as careful and thorough as people believe.
Larry Carr states that Cooper ordered one drink, a bourbon and soda, and spills half of it.  He doesn't consider that to be a lot of alcohol over the 5 hours Cooper was on the plane.  Cooper obviously knew that the aft stairs could be deployed in flight, but somehow believed they were controlled through the cockpit.  A mistake that didn't hinder his objectives.

I will disagree with you though and say that Cooper was extremely thorough (but not perfect), and his knowledge wasn't infinite.  Luck plays a role in most everything in life, and I can't deny that Dan Cooper had luck on his side on that fateful evening.


Again, my contention is that Cooper is an engineer (per the Citizen Sleuths and their analysis of the metal particles on his tie).  He also holds at least an instrument rating with a private pilot's license (because of his knowledge of flight operations).  I believe he had military training, but probably hadn't made a skydiving attempt in years.  Therefore, he seems informed about skydiving, but certainly doesn't appear to be an expert.

[ He probably had coated his fingertips with something and wasn't leaving traceable fingerprints.]

What coating? Duralast?  Duralast-Extra Strength ?    ?

Model airplane glue would probably do just fine.  If you built model airplanes as a youngster prior to 1971, you know that glue gets on your fingers and is difficult to get off.

Cooper getting his original note back from the cockpit probably included concerns about his handwriting being identifiable as well as the note paper being evidence and maybe having his finger prints on it also.

 But overall, Cooper was plainly negligent about leaving evidence behind.

Meyer Louie   You say:  "If Cooper was a highly trained special ops, creme de la creme, kind of guy -- and I think he was -- then he spent much more than a month preparing.  He spent a whole career honing specialized skills.  He was probably the best of the best at what he did."

I say:   "Sheridan Peterson who is DB Cooper and the proof is his FLAW in his alibi to the FBI that he was delivering one of his two children born in Nepal. The public records available from persopo.com show that Peterson's two children were not even born in the same year as Norjak (1971) as the son was born in 1970 (the year before Norjak) and the daughter in 1972 (the year after Norjak). Anyway, Sheridan was planning Norjak when he was at my home for a month and that was 9 years before Norjak. He was pumping me for all that I knew as a Boeing Engineer about the 727 aftsirstairs and how they worked. I finally told him how to get a job at Boeing even though there was a hiring freeze at the time and to work in the "Handbooks and Manuals Group" (located in the 9-101 building at the Development Center in Seattle. He did get the job shortly after leaving my home and could find out all he needed about the 727 aftstairs. So, this means that he was planning the Norjak caper for at least 9 years and covered as much as he needed to "do the job" and get away with the perfect crime and fool the FBI guys."
The cover-up of the Seattle FBI (by closing the case) looks a lot like the FBI cover-up of Hillary Clinton and in both cases looks like "Obstruction of Justice" and failure on the part of the FBI to do their job and made us look like a "Banana Republic Country". A lot of the same kinds of goings on in both cases (typical of how the FBI works now?). Do they think we are that stupid and they can cover-up and not do their job?

Bob Sailshaw
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