The route taken by the hijacker known as D.B. Cooper on Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, and then to an unknown location after he parachuted from the aircraft with $200,000 in ransom, remains a subject of intense speculation and investigation. This route encompasses not only the known flight plan of the Boeing 727 but also the hypothesized jump zone and potential landing areas, forming a crucial element in the ongoing mystery.
Understanding the specifics of this journey is vital to any serious attempt to solve the Cooper case. Analysis of the aircraft’s performance, the terrain below, and weather conditions on the evening of November 24, 1971, are all critical factors. The FBI and amateur sleuths alike have used this information to develop and refine theories about where Cooper may have landed and what his ultimate fate might have been. The trajectory of the airplane and the possible landing zones continue to be central to the enduring fascination with this unsolved crime.