On Nov. 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper jumped from a Northwest Orient jetliner and into history. A parachute that was on the plane but not used by the hijacker — who became known as D.B. Cooper — is going on display Sept. 22 at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.
It's the first time the artifact has been on display at the museum since a show devoted to the incident opened in August 2013.
The parachute is one of the most requested items in the museum's collection, according to spokesperson Derek Nguyen. It will be on display through March 16, 2025.
Hijacking
Cooper took over the Portland-to-Seattle flight suggesting he had a bomb. He demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in cash.
With the ransom and parachutes in hand and only a skeleton crew on board, the plane took off again, headed south. At some point, Cooper lowered the rear stairs and jumped.
He was never seen again.
Pop culture
Cooper's audacious crime cemented him in American pop culture. Theories on Cooper's identity sprang up and have never ceased, with some even coming forward to claim they were Cooper.
The FBI, which has since closed the investigation, never identified a suspect.
"This exhibition will focus solely on giving the public the opportunity to see the parachute," said WSHM director Jennifer Kilmer. "It does not offer any theories into the crime or Cooper's identity."
Money found
Speculation on where he landed and if he lived were rampant. Then, came a clue.
In 1980, a boy dug up some of the money, identified through serial numbers, on a sandbank of the Columbia River. The case was reopened but little came of it beyond even more speculation and theories.
Some of the money, and the parachute, were on display at the history museum during a 2013 exhibition devoted to Cooper.
The chute
Cooper took two parachutes with him. The parachute in the museum's collection was one of two he left behind on the plane. The FBI recovered and examined them as evidence.
When not on display, the chute is stored in climate-controlled conditions. It's still considered criminal evidence, the museum said.
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