DB Cooper

[shutter]

Hello gentleman, I have an odd question to ask some controllers. I research the DB Cooper hijacking. a flight path map was provided showing approx. where the plane was that evening. this map was made by the Sage radar out of McChord AFB. the radar controllers from Portland (KPDX) have claimed the plane never left V23 airways just as the map shows. a small plastic placard was found that was from the aircraft 7 years later that was just west of the flight path. the winds were going eastward. a pilot and aeronautical engineer believes the path was further west of the known path. is this possible given the fact of the controllers stating they never left the intended airways. could the controllers somehow be wrong for any known reasons? the map shows where they believe Cooper bailed but they are claiming the plane was some 8-12 miles west of the known path.

In my opinion to be that far off and not know it would be extremely dangerous in the sky?

The reasons for the path change is the location of the placard and to divert around Portland due to a bomb on board.

I hope I'm in the right spot and have given enough information in helping me try and resolve this issue..

Thanks

 

[Shikaka]

Hello gentleman, I have an odd question to ask some controllers. I research the DB Cooper hijacking. a flight path map was provided showing approx. where the plane was that evening. this map was made by the Sage radar out of McChord AFB. the radar controllers from Portland (KPDX) have claimed the plane never left V23 airways just as the map shows. a small plastic placard was found that was from the aircraft 7 years later that was just west of the flight path. the winds were going eastward. a pilot and aeronautical engineer believes the path was further west of the known path. is this possible given the fact of the controllers stating they never left the intended airways. could the controllers somehow be wrong for any known reasons? the map shows where they believe Cooper bailed but they are claiming the plane was some 8-12 miles west of the known path.

In my opinion to be that far off and not know it would be extremely dangerous in the sky?

The reasons for the path change is the location of the placard and to divert around Portland due to a bomb on board.

I hope I'm in the right spot and have given enough information in helping me try and resolve this issue..

Thanks

Maybe, at the risk this isn't a gag or a scene from "Without a Paddle"...great movie...
Winds in mountainous areas are crazy, a stable wind is a joke and predictable winds are more so a joke. So trying to piece together the wind from a night decades ago is nigh impossible in a specific area. At least in my experience, we are at the base of the Sierra Nevadas and our wind can be 20G45KTS from a different direction every 5 minutes. #GoAround


Wrong forum though

 

[shutter]

sorry, where would I go on this forum?

 

[Shikaka]

sorry, where would I go on this forum?

Make your post here General

Also stuckmic.com is full of people interested in this area of work and r/atc would be a good place too.

 

[shutter]

Maybe, at the risk this isn't a gag or a scene from "Without a Paddle"...great movie...
Winds in mountainous areas are crazy, a stable wind is a joke and predictable winds are more so a joke. So trying to piece together the wind from a night decades ago is nigh impossible in a specific area. At least in my experience, we are at the base of the Sierra Nevadas and our wind can be 20G45KTS from a different direction every 5 minutes. #GoAround


Wrong forum though

It's not a gag. I can assure you. these were my feelings as well. the winds were documented and published since they were trying to locate where he jumped and understand where he would drift and get a possible landing zone. it appears to not be so crazy the placard would be found west of the flight with easterly winds. that helps answer that but leaves me with how the controllers could be miles off the documented location of the plane.