General Category > DB Cooper
Clues, Documents And Evidence About The Case
andrade1812:
15 degree indent flap setting (and knowing the 727 was degrees and not percent)
Knowing a flight plan could be filed from the air after takeoff
Knew where the emergency O2 was in the passenger cabin
Knew terminology for airstairs and phone system
He asked specifically if airplane was a 727
Knew about how long refueling should take.
Knew how to position refueling truck.
Was worried about the potential risk of marshals.
Contraindications:
Apparently did *not* know maximum range for his flight configuration
Did not know how to actually lower stairs.
Believed the cockpit could lower stairs in flight.
(I just realized that Cooper might have been aware of the airline protocols for hijackings, will have to look into that)
Robert99:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or LoginI'd like to compile all of the evidence pointing toward DBC having a knowledge of the operation of the 727. I know it's been discussed in the past, but I'd like to try to get it all in one place.
I'll begin with a one. Please add to my list:
1. Knew the airstairs could be lowered in flight
--- End quote ---
To be a bit more precise, Cooper probably knew that the 727 had been flight-tested with the stairs lowered (but probably not locked down). The 727 went into airline service in early 1964 and this was common knowledge by the summer of 1964 when an article in the British publication "Flight" so stated. It is possible and/or probable that the FAA had required a flight test with the stairs floating in the free stream as part of the original certification tests.
Robert99:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or Login15 degree indent flap setting (and knowing the 727 was degrees and not percent)
Knowing a flight plan could be filed from the air after takeoff
Knew where the emergency O2 was in the passenger cabin
Knew terminology for airstairs and phone system
He asked specifically if airplane was a 727
Knew about how long refueling should take.
Knew how to position refueling truck.
Was worried about the potential risk of marshals.
Contraindications:
Apparently did *not* know maximum range for his flight configuration
Did not know how to actually lower stairs.
Believed the cockpit could lower stairs in flight.
(I just realized that Cooper might have been aware of the airline protocols for hijackings, will have to look into that)
--- End quote ---
The contraindications don't really mean very much. If Cooper planned to jump early, the maximum range would not be important. Remember that Cooper had a stewardess and three flight crew members onboard that did know how to lower the stairs.
Jack:
""Did not know how to actually lower stairs.""
I think we should define this one some more.
Cooper did not know how to lower the stairs in a commercial civilian plane.
He requested that they release the stairs from the pilot's cabin.
This is how the 727's adapted for military use released their aft stairs.
This shows that Cooper's knowledge seems to come from personal military experience, or from personal military knowledge, or from a second hand military source.
Jack
Chaucer:
Thanks for the great input. The next question would be: what would put him in a position to know those details? Would a pilot know those things? An engineer? Or is that something one could find out from a manual?
As an aside, he was familiar with the Sea-Tac region from the air which would indicate he had flown over that area quite a bit.
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