What gives the D.B. Cooper mystery such global appeal? You might wonder why amateur sleuths living all around the globe are intrigued by such a quintessentially American cold case as D.B. Cooper's hijacking.
Why on earth am I, an antipodean half a world away, suddenly studying up on the geography of America's Pacific Northwest, and becoming knowledgeable on the locations of truckstops, thrift shops, payphones and airfields in 1971? Why have I researched so much about U.S. military surplus parachutes, 727-100 jets, the weight and durability of U.S. currency, and brands of vintage American sunglasses? It may sound like I'm planning a heist myself... but I'm just interested in tracking down the elusive D.B. Cooper.
The unsolved case of skyjacker D.B. Cooper regularly ranks up there with Amelia Earhart's plane, and the disappearance of MH370, in all-time top aviation mysteries of the world. From the number of books, articles and YouTube videos I've seen, the hijacking of Flight 305 is not just a vintage American crime: this mystery holds global (and timeless) appeal. Fortunately for mystery fans worldwide, this 53-year-old hijacking case is now discussed in numerous Cooper books, videos, podcasts, forums, and blogs like this one, that we can all dive into online from the comfort of our homes.
Many drawcard factors add to the universal allure of the D.B. Cooper mystery. Cooper's identity is unknown, his disappearance after his crime is unresolved, and the majority of his ransom money has never been discovered. Theories abound, but nobody knows for sure. Cooper is anybody... and nobody. An enigma. Because so much of the Cooper case remains mysterious, we pull at every thread, only to find an ever-widening Vortex of facets to research. Cooper's tie, for instance, leads us to vintage clothing, bygone chainstores, rare earth elements, and genomic sequencing, just for starters. There's something for everybody, whatever their interests, and always something new to learn.
All this is the same reason why I'm currently reading so many books on the history of the CIA's covert operations in 1960s and '70s Southeast Asia, and even the top secret Stargate Project, none of which I'd known about before. In the same way, I didn't care for studying science at school, but now I've been avidly learning about aerodynamics, hydrology, chemical elements and rare alloys, plus those pesky microscopic algae called diatoms.
To misquote author John Green, “I fell into the Cooper Vortex like you would fall asleep: slowly and then all at once.” I'm now awake to the likelihood that I might never escape the pull of this intriguingly bizarre 1970s American mystery, but then I'm not sure I want to escape. I have discovered an endlessly fascinating research topic. Even though I live in the South Pacific and have never yet visited the Pacific Northwest, I can't wait to see what new findings and revelations about the D.B. Cooper mystery lie ahead for us.
-Mary
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