FBI Investigated Maine Man in Infamous D.B. Cooper Plane Hijacking

The mystery of the 1971 hijacking remains unsolved, but newly released files show the FBI looked into a former pilot from Norway, Maine.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The FBI has spent decades trying to solve the mystery of the 1971 D.B. Cooper plane hijacking, in which a man jumped out of a commercial airplane with $200,000 in ransom money and was never found. A newly released batch of investigative files shows the agency looked into a former pilot from Norway, Maine named Raymond Sidney Russell as a potential suspect, but ultimately did not believe he was the hijacker.

Why it matters

The D.B. Cooper case is one of the FBI's 'great unsolved mysteries,' and has captured the public's imagination for over 50 years, inspiring movies, books, podcasts, and countless amateur investigators. The release of these new files provides a rare glimpse into the agency's extensive efforts to try to crack the case over the decades.

The details

The FBI files show they interviewed Russell in 1972, after he had returned to Maine from the West Coast. Russell denied involvement and provided an alibi, saying he had been in Maine visiting his mother at the time of the hijacking. While some details about Russell matched the description of D.B. Cooper, the FBI ultimately decided he was not a viable suspect, with a handwritten note indicating they planned to 'ELIMINATE RUSSELL' from their investigation.

  • The D.B. Cooper hijacking took place in November 1971.
  • The FBI interviewed Raymond Sidney Russell in the summer of 1972.
  • Russell died in 1989.

The players

D.B. Cooper

The unidentified man who hijacked a commercial airplane in 1971, demanded a $200,000 ransom, and parachuted out of the plane, never to be seen again.

Raymond Sidney Russell

A former pilot from Norway, Maine who the FBI investigated as a potential suspect in the D.B. Cooper hijacking case.

Ryan Burns

A criminal attorney in Mississippi who runs a popular YouTube channel about the D.B. Cooper case and plans to release his own book on the topic.

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What they’re saying

“It's kind of the coolest crime ever. This guy is wearing sunglasses, smoking cigarettes, drinking bourbon in the back of a plane. And he got away with it.”

— Ryan Burns, Criminal Attorney and D.B. Cooper Sleuth (YouTube)

“I don't think anybody in the world wants it solved more than I do, given all the effort I put into it.”

— Ryan Burns, Criminal Attorney and D.B. Cooper Sleuth (YouTube)

What’s next

The FBI continues to investigate the D.B. Cooper case, though many experts believe it may never be solved due to a lack of DNA evidence and the passage of time.

The takeaway

The D.B. Cooper hijacking remains one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in American history, captivating the public's imagination for over 50 years. While the FBI has pursued numerous leads over the decades, the true identity of the hijacker remains elusive, highlighting the enduring allure of this infamous crime.