Brad Collins was born in 1957 in Seattle, Washington.

One of eight children born to Jack and Grace Collins, he has er! fond "e"ories of growing #$, beaches, tro#t fishing, crabbing, gardening, and "o#ntaineering were co""on acti ities of hi" and those who he grew #$ with, as well as $lent! of a iation acti ities. %e s$ent !ears in b#siness, b#t later "arried and took #$ ranching and writing, his tr#e $assions. %e has two bo!s, se eral dogs and cats, lo es to tra el with his wife, &obin, and c#rrentl! resides near 'ort (ngeles, Washington.

Bradley S. Collins

My Father was D B Cooper

(n ("erican Stor!

Co$!right B r a d l e ! S . C o l l i n s )he right of Bradle! S. Collins to be identified as a#thor of this work has been asserted b! hi" in accordance with section 77 and 7* of the Co$!right, +esigns and 'atents (ct 19**. (ll rights reser ed. ,o $art of this $#blication "a! be re$rod#ced, stored in a retrie al s!ste", or trans"itted in an! for" or b! an! "eans, electronic, "echanical, $hotoco$!ing, recording, or otherwise, witho#t the $rior $er"ission of the $#blishers. (n! $erson who co""its an! #na#thori-ed act in relation to this $#blication "a! be liable to cri"inal $rosec#tion and ci il clai"s for da"ages. ( C.' catalog#e record for this title is a ailable fro" the British /ibrar!. .SB, 97* 1 *0912 199 3 www.a#stin"aca#le!.co" 4irst '#blished 563127 (#stin 8 9aca#le! '#blishers /td. 65 Canada S:#are Canar! Wharf /ondon ;10 5/B 'rinted and bo#nd in Great Britain

+edication )his book is dedicated to the "e"or! of "! "other, Grace . ! Collins, who #rged "e to write it< (nd "! 4ather Jack (lbert Collins =J#"$ing Jack Cash> who did it< 60th ,o e"ber 1971. ?o# will go down as one of histor!>s highest $aid st#nt"en.

Cha$ter 1 @Stor! G#idelineA

)his no el will not be an atte"$t to rewrite histor!. ,either will it be written as fiction, altho#gh "#ch of what has alread! been $#blished abo#t =+.B. Coo$er> has been fiction. What follows sho#ld go towards sol ing, once and for all, the :#estions of who, wh!, where, and how this incredible, er! #ni:#el! eBec#ted cri"e was concei ed, carried o#t, and for the "ost $art, bro#ght to a s#ccessf#l concl#sion. .n addition, e er! atte"$t will be "ade to show the reader not C#st the facts, b#t $h!sical descri$tions of e ents, "oti es, $h!sical a$$earances, etc. etc. ,eBt, . will $aint a $ict#re, being "!self an e!ewitness, of the "ain characters, as well as "an! others who obser ed these e ents also. .ronicall!, in late 1971, as the cri"e took $lace, . was e"$lo!ed as a news$a$er distrib#tor b! The Seattle Times for "! ho"etown of ;d"onds, Washington, "! territor! being the ferr! dock, ferr! boats, grocer!D$har"ac! stores, $l#s all $a$er "achines that were in town as well as the boats. )he neBt da! after the e ent was )hanksgi ing +a!, )h#rsda! ,o e"ber 65th, 1971. +#e to the stor!, for the neBt fo#r da!s, . co"$letel! sold o#t of "! allot"ent of late edition news$a$ersE

)his news was h#ge, and not C#st in Seattle, b#t aro#nd the world. .>" s#re not C#st "!self, b#t $a$erDkids 5the! called "e thatE7 in ,ew ?ork, Chicago, /os (ngeles, /ondon, 9oscow, and Canada had the sa"e good fort#ne. )he "ain difference between the" and . howe er was that as . went thro#gh "! ro#tine the first afternoon 5)hanksgi ing7, . had a feeling, dee$ down inside, that "! +ad, an eBcellent $ilot, as well as $rofessional sk!di er, had so"ething to do with itE Soon . fo#nd o#t . wasn>t the onl! one, within weeks, based on a ti$ fro" one of o#r neighbors, the 4B. arri ed at "! 4ather>s work$lace, the 4ranklin /ife .ns#rance Co"$an!>s regional head:#arters, located at the 'la-a 133 B#ilding in downtown Seattle. (ccording to "! 4ather, and so"e of his coDworkers, the 4B. sta!ed and inter iewed hi" for abo#t an ho#r. ,eBt the! $aid a isit to "! father>s !o#nger brother, &o"aine =B#d> Collins, who hi"self was a seasoned airline ca$tain who flew for =,orthwest Orient> and ro#tinel! $iloted the sa"e t!$e Boeing 767 #sed in the cri"e. So "! belief, which is 133F, is that these two "en, brothers, concei ed, $lanned, and got awa! with this cri"e. . don>t howe er feel that the !o#nger brother, B#d, was =right> b! the decision to go along with it. . feel "! 4ather was $ers#asi e to an eBtre"e, and B#d went along with it, b#t later was ha#nted b! his decision. ?es, he did his $art and the loot was s$lit in half. B#t in the end, it cons#"ed hi". (fter all, he didn>t reall! need the "one! as he was "aking abo#t G15,333 !earl!, a tid! s#" in 1971. )he C#"$er, Jack needed a gro#nd "an, and =B#d> was a $erfectionist who co#ld get the Cob done. 9! 4ather reall! tr#sted and lo ed his !o#nger brother. &e"e"ber, these g#!s owned se eral $lanes, flew co#ntless ho#rs, and sk!di ed for o er a decade before the e ent took $lace. )he following is a brief con ersation between 4ather and son, s$ringti"e, 1971.

@%old on, Brad, . wanted to talk to !o#. G#ess what,A he said. @WhatHA . re$lied. @.>" "aking a new kind of $arach#te C#"$,A he anno#nces. @What $ossible new kind of C#"$ co#ld !o# "akeHA . asked. @.>" C#"$ing at night, fro" 13,333 feetEA @.sn>t that "ore dangero#sHA . ask. %e has a look on his face like he>s fig#ring the odds< @Oh, abo#t 0 or 5F don>t "ake it, b#t that>s good odds,A he sa!s. @Besides .> e got this.A %e thr#sts his ar" o#t showing his wristwatch. %e $resses a b#tton and it beco"es an alti"eter for sk!di ing with l#"inescence. @9o">s right, !o#>re n#ts, +ad.A @. know, son,A he said.

Cha$ter 6 @)he ?o#nger ?ears 1923 I 1905 I 1953A

Jack (lbert Collins was born ($ril 66nd, 1967 in %a"ilton, Ontario Canada to 'erci al and 'atricia Collins. )wo !o#nger brothers, &o"aine =B#d> and 'atrick ='att!> were born in 1921 and 1920 res$ecti el!. )heir 4ather was described as a hard working b#siness owner of a garage and filling station that had a co#$le of roo"s #$stairs for rent. %a ing s$ent "ost of the fa"il!>s !o#nger !ears d#ring the +e$ression, it was to#gh ti"es. B#t 'atricia worked when she co#ld find it as a n#rse. %er h#sband worked hard fiBing a#to"obiles and is r#"ored to ha e =r#n> alcohol across the border for eBtra "one!. Setting that aside, the! also grew fr#its and egetables so life was better than "ost folks. %owe er, life takes its toll and 'erci al dro$$ed dead of a "assi e heart attack at age thirt!Dse en in 192*. 9! 4ather described it as being an awf#l eB$erience aro#nd 1975. )o :#ote hi"J @%e was washing his car, a brand new St#dibaker o#tside o#r "otel roo". )his was o#r first real acation as the Great +e$ression was still going f#ll bore. (nd +ad was so $ro#d of his brand s$ankin> new car.A Jack was onl! aro#nd twel e, B#d abo#t siB or se en, and 'att! onl! a little bab! bo!. What were the! going to do nowH Well, for one thing, their +ad alwa!s took the" $laces and the! were going to "iss that. %e see"ed to find ti"e 5"ostl! on

S#nda!s7 to take the" to the local airstri$ to see air$lanes. Both Jack and B#d C#st lo ed air$lanes, es$eciall! bi$lanes and wing walkers. (fter all, this was the +e$ression and the =Greats> of their ti"e, like ("elia ;arhart, %oward %#ghes, and +o#glas =Wrong Wa!> Corrigan were the headlines, as well as stories on the radio abo#t the =&ed Baron>, as well as gangsters s#ch as (l Ca$one, 'rett! Bo! 4lo!d, and )he Shadow. B#d, after his 4ather died, beca"e obsessed with $lanes and air$orts. %e began to ski$ school aro#nd the 7th Grade, and the tr#ant officer co#ld #s#all! find hi" at the air$ort hanging o#t with $ilots and "echanics. %e :#it school in the *th Grade, and then it was air$orts all the wa!. Jack contin#ed on with his ed#cation #ntil 1929, b#t when war was declared b! ;ngland against Ger"an! in that !ear, +ad tried to get into the Canadian (ir 4orce. %is "other was against it< he was too !o#ng, aro#nd fo#rteen or al"ost fifteen !ears old. %owe er, being $ersistent and deter"ined, he sn#ck into %is 9aCest!>s (r"! aro#nd 1903. %e e en "anaged to arri e in .tal! the following !ear on a troo$ shi$. %e was disco ered b! an ;nglish officer who fo#nd o#t how !o#ng he was and who sent hi" back to the rear where he beca"e a cook>s hel$er. %e sta!ed on in the Canadian (r"! #ntil 1902 when he was finall! discharged. %owe er, b! now he>s been "arried and has two children, ha ing "et "! "other Grace in 1903 in ;ngland. So, now he>s decided to $#rs#e fl!ing, so he Coins #$ with the Knited States (ir 4orce aro#nd 1902. 9eanwhile, his !o#nger brother B#d is writing to hi" in San (ntonio where he>s stationed with the (ir 4orce. B#d wants to be near his brother Jack, and "! "other Grace b#t he>s still er! !o#ng, aro#nd twel e or so. Still, B#d looks "at#re for his age and after he finall! r#ns awa! fro" ho"e, sooner or later he rides the rails and arri es at "! 9o" 8 +ad>s $lace on base in San (ntonio. .t see"s that he i""ediatel! knows where the =air$lane action> is. (fter so"e training and a co#$le of !ears $ass < Jack and B#d can fl! like birds. B! now tho#gh, Jack Collins has three or fo#r

children and it>s 1953. %e needs "ore "one! and soon learns a new wa! to "ake it < as a sales"an. %e goes o#t one e ening as a ac##" cleaner sales"an with onl! one ac##" to sell !et gets two orders for one ac##". %e and "o" are er! eBcited as in his first two nights as a sales"an he has "ade "ore "one! than his "onthl! $a! in the "ilitar!E So, the! get dressed #$ 5$eo$le dressed #$ a lot in those da!s7, the! isit the co""anding officer, and +ad sec#res an %onorable +ischarge. B#d, "eanti"e, is di iding his ti"e as a teenager between girlfriends and fl!ing.

Mom and baby