Unmasking D.B. Cooper: Bruce A. Smith on America’s Greatest Skyjacking Mystery

On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Orient flight, parachuted into the night with $200,000 in ransom, and vanished without a trace. To this day, it remains the only unsolved skyjacking in U.S. history.

In this episode of the Common-X Podcast, we sit down with journalist and author Bruce A. Smith, one of the leading researchers on the D.B. Cooper case. We explore the FBI investigation, the suspects, the myths versus facts, and why this mystery still grips the public imagination more than 50 years later. Was Cooper a criminal mastermind who got away clean — or a desperate man who didn’t survive the jump?

DB Cooper, Bruce A Smith, Common X Podcast, skyjacking mystery, Northwest Orient Flight 305, FBI investigation, unsolved crimes, true crime podcast, American mysteries, Cooper suspects, ransom money, parachute hijacking, 1971 hijacking, aviation history, conspiracy theories

The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage.

From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks.

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