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Who was the hijacker?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Four answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the two narrower questions under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

The only unsolved air piracy in United States history has a known method, a known aircraft, a partial DNA profile, fingerprints, and a 66-volume file, and still no name. Every other question is easier once this one is answered, because a named man has a history that can be checked against the flight path, the money and the particles⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 4

None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for, 3 against
Disputed
Evidence: 2 against
Disputed

History

  1. Calame & Rhodes puts forward: the hijacker was Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., who repeated the method over Utah in April 1972.
  2. Natale: vault releases in 2025 show the FBI eliminated hundreds of named men on description, alibi or appearance; the…Against: The hijacker was one of the other named suspects (Rackstraw, Christiansen, Peterson, Reca, Weber, L. D.…
  3. Kocher: the FBI held the rig, tested it, and returned it in December 2025 saying it could offer no specific…Against: The hijacker was Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., who repeated the method over Utah in April 1972.
  4. Kocher: a modified military bail-out parachute rig and a skydiving log recording practice jumps before both…For: The hijacker was Richard Floyd McCoy Jr., who repeated the method over Utah in April 1972.
  5. Asked on this site
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