Among the most enduring–and befuddling–mysteries of the 20th century is that of D.B. Cooper. On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, Cooper (almost certainly not his real name) displayed an apparent bomb to a startled stewardess aboard a 727 out of Portland, Oregon. He then demanded $200,000 and four parachutes. When the plane landed in Seattle, the passengers were released and Cooper’s items were delivered to him. The aircraft then took flight again, bound for Reno, empty but for Cooper, the crew, and the pilots. Somewhere over the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, Cooper jumped, money in hand, never to be heard from again.
Who was D.B. Cooper? Did he survive his daring leap into history? In the years since, many have come forward claiming to know the truth. The real Cooper was a friend, or a family member, they’d say.
Now, HBO aims to shed a little more light on the Cooper hijacking with its new documentary, The Mystery of D.B. Cooper. Will it get to the bottom of the Cooper conundrum? Not likely, but it should be fun nonetheless. You can check out a trailer below. The documentary premieres on November 26.
