GLOBAL TERRORISM: SKYJACKING
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The date was November 24th 1971, the night before Thanksgiving and the plane he skyjacked was a Boeing
THE SOPHISTICATED SKY PIRATE: UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF D.B COOPER’S SKYJACK Though it’s been more than four decades since the skyjacking incident, traces of the cunning man known as D.B Cooper is still yet to be found. Thousands of suspects have been closely investigated but the Federal
727 from Portland, Oregon to Seattle. Having purchased a one-way ticket and gaining the seat number 18C, Cooper walked into the plane so casually. On the plane, he ordered a whiskey, lit up a cigarette and handed the flight attendant Florence Schaffner a note:
“I HAVE A BOMB IN MY BRIEFCASE. I WILL USE IT IF NECESSARY. I WANT YOU TO SIT NEXT TO ME. YOU ARE BEING HIJACKED”
Bureau of Investigation could not come close to capturing the man. Bravo for the sky pirate for pulling
Having seen the eight red cylinders attached to wires
off such terror but how can we even begin to describe the terror it has caused and inspired! The story of this
was petrified and she made sure she jotted down his demands: $200,000 in 20 dollar bills and four
skyjack alone has inspired dozens of books and
parachutes. In exchange for the ransom, Cooper agreed to release the passengers and later the crews. Cooper
movies, inspiring even more terror to be caused to the world. Five months after the skyjack, a Vietnam veteran Richard McCoy was inspired to stage a similar skyjack, demanding $500,000 ransom in hand.
with red insulation bomb in his briefcase, Schaffner
also demanded the plane to head to Mexico City but the plane was headed to Reno instead.
Furthermore, 31 skyjacks were committed in the following year and a large majority of them demanded money as well. Granted, there are no casualties caused by this terror as all 42 passengers including crew were released safely but Cooper managed to escape with the $200,000 ransom in 20 dollar bills, which was his main demand. If you look at it that way, he did get what he wants, making it a very successful mission. His motifs to stage the hijack in the first place remain unknown but judging from the $200,000 (roughly 2.5 million dollars in today’s value) he get to carry away, it’s most likely that he’s just in it for the money. His demands were the money in cash as well as four parachutes for him to escape the plane with. SOME OF THE RANSOM MONEY IN $20 BILLS
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The reason that this case have been so popular is due to the fact that even after four decades, it hasn’t been
punishment of the act of terror they performed. Though he didn’t manage to get all $200,000, he did snatch a
resolved. The FBI have made progress however no trace of D.B Cooper have been found.
lot of money which was his core intention. Forget the bleeding and injuries that he might face when he lands because there’s no such thing as a perfect mission. This
In the recent 2011, a woman named
skyjacking incident alone have inspired books and movies, grabbed tons of the media’s attention as well
Marla claimed
Cooper D.B
as keep the FBI busy in this case. Having no casualties in my opinion actually made it an even more
Cooper (whose real
successful mission. If people were scared of him even
name was Lynn Doyle Cooper) was
before he uses the violence, then imagine if he did!”
her uncle. remembered
She her
Anne, a passenger who was 22 at that time would argue that the mission that Cooper conducted wasn’t
a
effective. The reason she thinks that Cooper gained so
scheme at age eight and coming
much publicity is because of the fact that his escape was so successful. “I would believe that the mission is
back injured on Thanksgiving day.
successful if he really did come home safely with that $200,000,” said Anne. “I’m glad that I didn’t die at that
She also stated that her uncle was deceased in 1999.
time even though I’m pretty sure I would. It’s kind of
The information she shared have certainly brought us closer to unraveling the mystery however no firm
weird hearing about it because I lived that moment.”
conclusions have been drawn. According to Marla, her uncle was a Korean War Veteran which would make
So it’s just the money right? No one’s killed or injured? We are making a bigger deal out of this issue that we
sense because flying down a parachute requires proper
should be. Worst case scenario: everybody dies but
training. After further investigation over the years, some of the ransom money (a total of almost $5,000)
they didn’t! In my honest opinion, the mission was a success but I don’t think the FBI should be wasting any
has been found in the 1980s. In my opinion, Marla Cooper isn’t a very reliable source because anyone can
more of their time trying to find Cooper. Chances are, Marla was right and he’s dead and there’s no point
claim to be D.B Cooper’s niece and make up all kinds
crying over lost money. Looking back at what
of stories about him but I do put my trust on the FBI. If they think that she’s a witness worth looking into, then
happened in 1971, it brought me back to reflect on how technology have played a big role in terrorism. If
she’ll probably lead us to finally unraveling the mystery.
Cooper were to stage a similar scheme today, I would highly doubt that he would get passed the security. He
uncle A DRAWING OF D.B. COOPER BY THE FBI
plotting
probably won’t do it alone and probably not with a Cooper succeeded to cause terror to the passengers and crew in the plane and managed to get the $200,000 and
parachute. With the advancement of technology, acts of terrorism have unfortunately grown and sadly, we’re
four parachutes that he demanded as well as managing to escape successfully. Agus, a local historian thinks
living in a world where it still continues to grow. Though skyjacking was made famous by the 9/11
it’s a very successful mission and a job well done for
incident, it’s important to look back in our history
Cooper. “Very few terrorists have escaped from
books that lots more happened before then.
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