You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

One of the reasons they were worried about fuel was Rataczak went to 30 degrees on the flaps. this put an more drag on the plane. they would of never made it in that configuration. the plane levels off at 7,000 and slowing down to about 160 KIAS. soon after he switches to 30 degrees. the transcripts, or log shows the plane 14 miles DME at 7:40. this can not be met at the speed the plane was going. Rataczak said somewhere I recall about the stairs causing vibrations, and this was the reason he switched to 30 degrees, but that doesn't jive with the records. anyone have an answer on that one?

Cooper has the steps down somewhere close, or around McChord AFB.

9;30 rolls around, and they are not sure if Cooper is on the plane, so they ask to lower the cabin pressure to slow his reflexes down along with climbing to 11,000. who fell asleep after the oscillation, and the pressure bump earlier?

who fell asleep after the oscillation, and the pressure bump earlier?

who?   ?

The three members of the flight crew probably were using their oxygen system, which is separate from the cabin system.  Presumably, there would be a fourth mask for the jump seat and thus Tina could use it if desired.  So if anyone actually went to sleep, it probably would be Tina since the flight crew was busy flying the airplane.

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

One of the reasons they were worried about fuel was Rataczak went to 30 degrees on the flaps. this put an more drag on the plane. they would of never made it in that configuration. the plane levels off at 7,000 and slowing down to about 160 KIAS. soon after he switches to 30 degrees. the transcripts, or log shows the plane 14 miles DME at 7:40. this can not be met at the speed the plane was going. Rataczak said somewhere I recall about the stairs causing vibrations, and this was the reason he switched to 30 degrees, but that doesn't jive with the records. anyone have an answer on that one?

Cooper has the steps down somewhere close, or around McChord AFB.

9;30 rolls around, and they are not sure if Cooper is on the plane, so they ask to lower the cabin pressure to slow his reflexes down along with climbing to 11,000. who fell asleep after the oscillation, and the pressure bump earlier?

who fell asleep after the oscillation, and the pressure bump earlier?

who?   ?

The three members of the flight crew probably were using their oxygen system, which is separate from the cabin system.  Presumably, there would be a fourth mask for the jump seat and thus Tina could use it if desired.  So if anyone actually went to sleep, it probably would be Tina since the flight crew was busy flying the airplane.

What I was talking about is the fact of them pretty much knowing he bailed over an hour ago, and yet they still try some tricks and fail to take a peak in the back? they were aware the stairs were down for some time. then they realized he probably jumped, but that was only Cooper on the stairs. soon after that a pressure bump is felt, but we don't have anything on the transcripts to verify this account, but Rat confirms it. now, over an hour later they want to slow his reflexes down?

Shouldn't the "really smart guys" know Cooper already bailed somewhere past the 8:12 mark, or when Rataczak told them of the bump? it doesn't sound like they were positive he jumped somewhere around Battleground?

I should of said "who fell a sleep at the wheel" after indications not once, but twice that it probably left the plane.

what's up with Loren Peterson's recollections of the money. $250k? Black crew bag?

what's up with Loren Peterson's recollections of the money. $250k? Black crew bag?

And the emphatic statement from Marianne Lincoln of Shady Acres Airport in Spanaway, WA who says that she heard Seattle Control on VHF talk about the $400,000 that the skyjacker wanted.

Calame and Rhodes on McCoy is a must. It is a unique contribution to the Cooper literature, and is also a gem in the pantheon of true-crime accounts by a cop. It is well-written and touches on subjects that the FBI would not allow their agents to write about these days. A treasure for all time.

Barb Dayton. Yes. Get the second edition copy of Ron and Pat Forman's book. It is more complete, has a ton o' pix, and is better written. Is Barb DB Cooper? I doubt it, but Barb was a fascinating person and her confession is one of the best analyses of how DB Cooper could have done the caper successfully.

KC. Well, if you want to know all the principals in the cat fight over at the DZ, then you gotta read this book. But it's basically trash and filled with inaccuracies and woeful assumptions.

Max's book is a fun read. I read the copy from my library. Besides, the main character Clara says she and DB Cooper lived just down the road from me at Hofstra University, so that was cool.

DB Cooper's Parachute I've never read and it is doubtful I ever will.  If you do, let me know.

Similarly, you can skip Bradley's book about his dad, or read my synopsis at the MN. Forget Grey Cop, etc....

nmwrecks:   You say "The Cooper suspect seemed to know certain information about the 727, flaps, speed, aft-stairs. He seemed to think the plane could take off with the stairs deployed.  Could it?  They were damaged when it landed.  Are there any known instances of 727s taking off with the stairs deployed."

I say:   "It was know around Boeing that the company had made demonstration take-offs and landings with the stairs deployed for our government to interest them into buying and using the 727's to drop personnel and equipment from the air.  These demonstrations were performed at the Boeing test airport in Moses Lake Washington. The same airport where JAL trained their pilots. Sheridan Peterson (my # 1 suspect) worked for a short time at Boeing in the Manuals and Handbooks Group where he could have found out all he needed to know about the 727 and could have called the Mechanical Systems Engineers (the ones that designed the Airstairs) to discuss what he needed to know about the 727 Airstairs. He could have even used his Boeing Badge to visit and use the Airstairs test rig in the B-29 hanger located on the East side of Boeing Field. That same building housed the 727 FCTR (Flight Control Test Rig) that had all the hydraulics layed out in full aircraft positions including the Airstairs. His office was on the other side of Boeing field in the 9-101 building just above the M & P (Manufacturing and Processes Lab on the 1st floor) where he could have got all the titanium (alloyed and pure) and aluminum metals on his tie as he looked into the scrap bins around the outside walls of the lab. He would have passed those bins at least two times a day. I know my tie often swung into the bins as I looked through the neat scrap being discarded. My office was up stairs too in the same building."

This was a very well planned caper and nothing was overlooked except the use of DNA which the FBI has yet to look at under the four envelop flaps and stamps of the letters sent to the news papers shortly after Norjak. Why haven't the FBI looked at the evidence they have and compared the DNA with what they have taken from Sheridan? They are so close as a match (which I am sure they would get) would show Sheridan was in Portland when his phony alibi was he was in Nepal. There is still time as Sheridan is still alive and living in California but getting older. Time is short now but the FBI could make an easy check of the DNA and solve their only unsolved skyjacking.

Bob Sailshaw
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

The last flight out of Vietnam (Da Nang) the plane took off with the rear stairs down. the condition of the plane wasn't suppose to fly at all, but it did. they didn't really have a choice to pull the stairs up.

The movie "In Search of Dan Cooper" is available free streaming on CBC, dubbed into english. However, there might be a Canada only restriction. Maybe you can try a VPN, not sure if a proxy would work. I am no expert on these things..

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login