Table of Contents
- Obituary of William Rataczak
- The Hijacking Incident
- Legacy and The Ongoing Mystery
- Frequently Asked Questions
Obituary of William Rataczak
WILLIAM Rataczak, the co-pilot involved in one of America’s most notorious unsolved crimes, has passed away at the age of 86.
Rataczak, who served as the first officer for Northwest Orient Airlines during the 1971 flight that was hijacked, died on October 22 at an assisted living facility in North Oaks, Minnesota.
Co-Pilot William Rataczak (second from left), pictured with Captain William Scott, stewardess Tina Mucklow, and Second Officer Harold AndersonCredit: AP
D.B. Cooper hijacked the plane, demanded money and parachutes, then jumped from the aircraftCredit: FBI
The hijacked Northwest Airlines jetliner is seen in this November 25, 1971 file photo as it sits on a runway for refueling at Seattle-Tacoma International AirportCredit: AP
His son Michael reported that he died of pneumonia.
Rataczak was born on June 30, 1939, in Minneapolis.
From a young age, he was passionate about flying, obtaining his pilot’s license before he was legally allowed to drive.
After serving in the Air Force and graduating from the University of Minnesota, he joined Northwest Airlines in 1966 and retired in 1999.
He is survived by his children Michael, James, and Sarah Rataczak; siblings Katherine Bensen, David Rataczak, and Scott Rataczak; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
His wife, Judith, passed away in 2022.
The Hijacking Incident
More than 50 years after the hijacking that made him an unwitting witness to an outlaw legend, the mystery continues.
As a former Air Force pilot, Rataczak spent decades answering questions about that fateful November night that became a part of aviation lore.
The tranquil Boeing 727 flight from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, suddenly became the setting for the “perfect crime.”
Initially, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
“It was a typical West Coast day,” Rataczak recalled during an interview on the BBC’s Witness History podcast in 2015.
It was misty and rainy, with passengers boarding under umbrellas.
One passenger, a man dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses, purchased a one-way ticket under the name Dan Cooper, took a seat in the last row, and ordered a bourbon and soda.
Mid-taxi, he handed a note to flight attendant Florence Schaffner, stating: “Miss, I want you to read that note. Read it now.”
The note declared that he was carrying a bomb.
“You’re kidding,” Schaffner responded.
But Cooper, described as a dark-haired man in his mid-40s, was serious.
As the plane took off, flight attendant Tina Mucklow informed the cockpit: “We are being hijacked. This is no joke.”
Cooper then opened his briefcase to reveal what appeared to be dynamite wired together and outlined his demands: $200,000 in cash, four parachutes, and “no funny stuff.”
“What do we do now?” Rataczak recalled thinking.
“Is this really happening to us?”
For hours, the crew circled Puget Sound while the ransom and parachutes were prepared.
Cooper sat in the last row of the plane and ordered a bourbon and 7UPCredit: FBI
Cooper’s tie is 
