Welcome to Trek for Treasure 2023

The Search for D. B. Cooper

This year’s theme centers around the true story of the infamous D.B. Cooper, a hijacker who evaded authorities with a ransom of $200,000 after jumping out of a plane in 1971. Help us by hiking local trails in search of clues to reveal the mysteries of D.B. Cooper, and the fate that befell him.*

First, a little background info…

It all started on November 24th, 1971

when a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines flight 305 leaving Portland, bound for Seattle. Claiming that he had a bomb inside his briefcase, Cooper demanded that upon landing in Seattle, he be given $200,000 in ransom money along with four parachutes. In return, he released all passengers except four crew members.

The hijacker demanded to be flown to Mexico City with a planned refueling stop in Reno, NV. He also insisted that the plane be flown at an altitude lower than 10,000 feet. It is believed Cooper jumped from the rear of the plane over a heavily forested area somewhere in southern Washington state, taking the money with him.

He was never seen again.

FBI map of the flightpath and the hijacker’s suspected landing zone.

The FBI Investigation

The FBI quickly became involved in the search for the unknown hijacker who became known in the press as D. B. Cooper. Composite sketches (as seen in the FBI wanted poster) and details about the man’s appearance were gathered from eyewitnesses.

Despite repeated efforts to search the area where Cooper was presumed to have landed, the FBI was unable to recover any evidence from the hijacking. The serial numbers of the bills were published and rewards were offered for the return of the money, but none of the leads turned out to be valid.

In 1980, an eight-year-old boy discovered three packets of ransom cash on the Columbia River near Vancouver, WA. They were practically disintegrated by the elements and appeared to have washed down-river.

The FBI had doubts that Cooper survived the jump that night. The area was densely wooded, the weather was cold and rainy, he lacked proper skydiving equipment, they doubted his parachuting skills, and the stolen money was never spent. However, they never found evidence that would support the theory that Cooper died during his escape.

The FBI maintained an active investigation for 45 years, but finally suspended the case in July 2016. It remains the only unsolved airplane hijacking in US history.

Actual FBI wanted poster

This is where you come in…

Over the years, Trek for Treasure participants have honed their investigative skills in their search for pirate treasure, Sasquatch, Egyptian artifacts, and more. Now that the FBI has suspended its case, it’s time for us to hunt down clues and find out what really happened to D. B. Cooper.

Over the course of 12 weeks, your team will hike six trails in and around Skagit County, collect clues, decode evidence, and help us solve the Mystery of D.B. Cooper, the longest unsolved hijacking mystery in FBI history!*

* Although this year’s theme, The Search for D.B. Cooper, is based on an actual historical event, the clues and evidence provided are fictional and meant for entertainment purposes only.