I'm convinced Walt Reca is D.B. Cooper based on Walt's confession, a very credible eye witness, independent and verified corroboration of Walt's confession, my analysis of the taped confession/statements recorded by the very credible and late Carl Laurin, and all the circumstantial evidence.
Yes, the drop spot is not in line with published reports. I ask you to ponder this question: If you were the FBI, would you want to publish the exact flight line and risk having hundreds of people searching the possible crime scene where there may be $200,000 in cash?
As you know, Cooper, in Seattle, demanded the plane fly slowly at a maximum 10,000 feet altitude. I interviewed a veteran commercial pilot (Jeff Wierenga, with more than 1500 hours of flight time) who flew out of Seattle on 737 and 727 planes on the same route. Wierenga stated: "I wouldn't fly the FBI's given flight path because at some point you would have to cross the spine of the Sierra Mountain range, which is over 12,000 feet on average. The Cascade Mountain range near Cle Elum, Washington, has an average elevation below 10,000 feet."
Couple that comment with the weather being cold, windy, and poor visibility. And, in those days, radar was still fairly rudimentary. Given these issues, the published flight route cannot be a determinate factor.
