FBI Releases New Files on Infamous 1971 DB Cooper Plane Hijacking

Investigators looked into a former pilot as a potential suspect, but ultimately eliminated him as a suspect in the unsolved case.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released new files related to the infamous 1971 DB Cooper plane hijacking case, one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in U.S. history. The files detail the FBI's investigation into a former pilot named Raymond Sidney Russell as a potential suspect, but ultimately the agency determined he should be eliminated as a suspect in the case.

Why it matters

The DB Cooper case has captivated the public's imagination for decades, inspiring movies, books, and podcasts about the unknown hijacker who parachuted from a plane with $200,000 in ransom money, never to be seen again. The release of these new FBI files provides additional insight into the agency's investigation and the potential suspects they looked into over the years.

The details

On November 24, 1971, a man using the name Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. He demanded $200,000 in ransom and four parachutes, which he received in exchange for releasing the passengers. Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada, Cooper jumped out of the back of the plane with the ransom money, never to be seen again. The FBI investigated over 800 suspects over the next 25 years, and the new files detail their look into a former pilot named Raymond Sidney Russell as a potential suspect.

  • On November 24, 1971, Cooper hijacked the Northwest Orient Airlines flight.
  • In 1972, the FBI interviewed Raymond Sidney Russell about the case.
  • In 1980, a young boy found a rotting package of $20 bills matching the ransom money serial numbers.

The players

DB Cooper

The unidentified man who hijacked the Northwest Orient Airlines flight in 1971, parachuted from the plane with $200,000 in ransom money, and was never seen again.

Raymond Sidney Russell

A former pilot from western Maine who was interviewed by the FBI in 1972 as a potential suspect in the DB Cooper case, but was ultimately eliminated as a suspect.

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What’s next

The FBI has said the case remains one of its "great unsolved mysteries," and the release of these new files may spur further investigation or public interest in finally solving the identity of the infamous DB Cooper.

The takeaway

The DB Cooper case continues to captivate the public's imagination decades later, and the release of these new FBI files provides additional insight into the agency's investigation into potential suspects over the years, even as the true identity of the hijacker remains a mystery.