It was fear that did them all in. they didn't notice a whole lot other than the dynamite. it's not that hard to make it look real enough to fool the average person...
Here is the actual testimony concerning the bomb:
(1) Mucklow: In briefcase left corner had 8 sticks of dynamite about 6 inches
long and 1 inch in diameter. Two rows of them then a red wire out of there.
Then a battery lite, a flashlight battery, only as thick as my arm and 8
inches long.
(2) Schaffner passed the note to Mucklow who called front. Schaffner went and sat by the man who opened the brief case and showed her a bomb. He showed her a wire INSIDE the case and he said âtouching this wire would detonate the bombâ!
(3) Mucklow: She recalls the contents of the case as approximately eight cylindrical objects about six to eight inches long with four of the items being placed on top of the others and banded together with (black) tape. She also recalls some covered and uncovered wiring running from the cylindrical objects to a dry cell type battery which had terminals on one end. She could not recall if the wires were connected to the terminals. The battery was described as approximately eight inches long and about two and one-half in diameter. She states that she had the impression seeing the contents that (it could be) dynamite; however, she is unfamiliar with the (exact) appearance of dynamite and could only describe it as stated above, adding that it (the sticks) were a âreddish rusty colorâ.
Mucklow recalled that during the flight from Portland to Seattle, all passengers were moved at least three rows forward from the back row where the hijacker was seated. At one time the subject stated that the bomb he had was electrically fused and he certainly hoped the crew would not generate any electrical currents which would trigger it!
(4) Mucklow sat next to the man and shortly thereafter he opened a black cheap appearing imitation leather attache case and showed her a device, with eight red cylindarsand a wire running from the cylindars toward a large 6x8x2â battery. The wire had a red plastic coating on it except for the last inch which was bare and the man was holding between his fingers. He told (me) it was an electronic device and suggested the aircraft radio be used as little as possible. He then said âhe didnât think radio transmissions would bother it, but he wanted the crew warnedâ .
(5) Crew: The lights were out in the rear compartment and she went forward, faced the curtain, and turned around and looked and the last time she saw him he had a nylon cord tied around his waste and he was standing in the isle. Before she secured the curtain she called back and pleaded with him to take the bomb with him or disarm it before he left. He said not to worry and he would take the bomb with him.
(6) Rataczak recalls the hijacker indicated the bomb had an âelectrical fuseâ and instructed the hostess that radio transmissions be limited as much as possible so that they would not set off the bomb.
Take-away: Cooper knew about Electro-magnetic Induction. He employed that principle to try and get the crew to limit radio transmissions. This is a vein attempt to isolate the crew and the plane from the outside world. He presented a wiring system commensurate with a real bomb -all technical experts that have read this testimony agree with that. . . .