Plane hi-jacker, the one that got away.

[flying dog]

The other night I recorded and now just watched a doco on the "first" hi-jacking of a plane where it was only domestic.

 

Anyway, what ever:

 

It was a 727.

 

Do 727's still have a rear door?

 

I remember boarding planes from the back, but there were L1011's, Tri-stars and other planes.

 

What was what I dunno.

 

But they said that the 727 had a rear passanger door - ie: One which opens at the back inline with the plane's body.

 

So.....? Do they still have that door?

 

 

[Spin]

Is that the doco about Dan Cooper, often referred to as DB Cooper? One of our members with airline experience will no doubt chime in, however yes 727's do have a rear airstair type door, very useful for operations from airfields other than those where mobile stairs are available - or for departing in flight without meeting various bits of aircraft in passing:oh yeah:.

 

I had a bit to do with one in some African hellhole and had it explained that after the hi-jack, an additional latch was added to the rear door of all 727s, which prevented it being opened whilst there was significant airflow past the door ie. airborne.

 

Edit: make that "supposed to be added", there has been a lot of deabte as to whether a certain aircraft which departed Luanda, apparently in the hands of a single pilot and has never been heard of again, was thus equipped.

 

[ATTACH]10905[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Some time back a drop zone in the States organised a weekend of jumping from a 727 using the rear door. I think they removed the stair section from it. The event was known as the DB Cooper boogie. Each jumper was given a DB Cooper membership card your number was issued according to your exit position. Not sure how many were on each load but most landed off the airport by some miles.

 

just found a vid of it

 

 

 

[Dieselten]

The device is called the "Cooper Vane" and prevents the rear air-stair being opened in flight. Wikipedia has a short article on it, with an illustration of the vane itself.

 

D. B. Cooper is presumed to have died, either on exiting the aircraft, in freefall or after landing (assuming his parachute actually functioned, which is not necessarily a given) and his body has never been found. Some partially decayed banknotes from the ransom were found in a swamp. The FBI case is still open but unless the remains of D. B. Cooper are found, a full resolution is unlikely.