The mystery of D.B. Cooper is one of the most enduring unsolved cases in American history. On November 24, 1971, a man identified only as “Dan Cooper” (later misreported as “D.B. Cooper”) hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland to Seattle. Dressed in a business suit and carrying a black briefcase, he handed the flight attendant a note stating he had a bomb. His demand was simple yet audacious: $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.

Authorities quickly met his demands in Seattle, exchanging the money and parachutes for the passengers. Cooper kept several crew members on board and ordered the plane to take off, heading toward Mexico City at a low altitude and slow speed. Then, somewhere over the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, he jumped out of the back of the plane with the cash strapped to his body. He disappeared into the night, leaving only an open door and endless questions.

Investigators scoured the wilderness for years, looking for clues about Cooper’s fate. The FBI launched one of its most extensive manhunts, but despite thousands of tips, they found no trace of him. In 1980, a young boy stumbled upon a decaying bundle of Cooper’s ransom cash near the Columbia River, sparking renewed interest in the case. Yet, no other evidence has surfaced, leaving everyone wondering: did Cooper survive his leap, or did he perish in the wilderness?

The legend of D.B. Cooper remains alive today, inspiring books, documentaries, and theories about who he might have been and where he went. Was he a master criminal who got away, or a desperate man who took an extreme risk? Cooper’s fate may never be known, but his story lives on as America’s most captivating and mysterious heist.