FLYJACK

Shutter, You should get to the bottom of Eric's decal claim (Boeing confirming it was from behind the two hole panel), if true it is crucial and means the FBI is lying about the decal. If Cooper accessed that inner panel the FBI had to know about it.. and we are being played. If false, Eric is just exaggerating again. Eric won't answer my questions. He doesn't seem to like tough questions.

I have always been interested in this interview with Loren Peterson.. http://www.washingtonhistory.org/collections/item.aspx?irn=123428&record=20 Most people have discounted his entire account as he claimed he counted the bundles of money and it totalled $250,000. We know that isn't correct. He also drifts between his experience and what he heard about the case.. hard to parse. However, if the bundles were banded in 4 x packets (100 bills) = $8000 per bundle X 25 bundles. He may have assumed 5 x packets (100 bills) = $10,000 per bundle X 25 bundles, that equals $250,000. In other words, he accurately counted 25 bundles but at $10,000 each instead of 25 bundles at $8,000 each. That may be why he got $250,000 instead of $200,000.. but that means they weren't random. You can't really count random sized bundles. He also explains how he opened the money bag, repacked it and tied it up before it went to the plane. and they forgot to sign for the money...

Eric's response was vague,, He needs to be asked directly,, DID BOEING SPECIFICALLY CONFIRM THE "HICKS" DECAL CAME FROM BEHIND THE TWO HOLED EMERGENCY PANEL? yes or no

This is getting interesting now,,, we have this narrowed down, a binary.. Either Eric is lying/exaggerating about Boeing confirming the placard being behind the two holed panel OR if true, the FBI lied about almost all the placard info they released and they must have known Cooper pulled the emergency system and removed the access panels. This was my very first suspicion, the placard was attached to the second panel and it went out of the plane on that panel. On the other hand, if Eric's claim is false we are back to square one.

I haven't rejected anything,,, just because I challenge something doesn't mean I have rejected it.. that is what amateurs do.

There are several versions of emergency airstairs decals on the 727, we know that one goes right on the main panel, it isn't the Hicks decal. His plane is a 727-200, a different system.

I can't take this anymore, you are so confused I am losing my patience.. First, there are TWO panels, the outer one with the finger holes and inner one, a flange. The red handle is behind TWO panels. Second, ERIC made this claim on your forum and nobody questioned it.. I think he made it up.. "Boeing verified this placard described the use of the emergency airstair release behind the two-hole door/panel."

You make no sense.. I am not changing the documented 302. Why don't you go and get Eric to clarify his claim... "Boeing verified this placard described the use of the emergency airstair release behind the two-hole door/panel." I think he just made it up... but if it is true it is very important.

You don't know that, you have no way to know that. Those decals are very similar and the part number is one digit different a mixup somewhere is possible.

The stencil is not the decal in question there is also an instruction decal.

Eric Ulis wrote.. "I have no issue with the wording. It is a door whether it's on a hinge or not. Nonetheless, Boeing verified this placard described the use of the emergency airstair release behind the two-hole door/panel." This is a false claim,, though I believe Boeing told Eric the placard was from near the aft door. The Hicks Placard number is BAC27DPA-152. This 727 very similar Emergency Airstair decal is BAC27DPA-182.... Did Boeing mix them up??

The normal 727-200 exterior emergency handle says push red handle up.. but, from the 727-100 manual The interior emergency access cover (one with finger holes) "Emergency Use Only, Airstair Extension, Pull To Remove Cover" The exterior emergency access "Emergency Exit Handle, Aft Airstairs" both have "pull" on the handle.

Not on the 727-100 optional emergency release system, read this... "pull sharply on red T handle"

no, there is another "break away" panel behind the outer one before you get to the red handle. The Hicks placard fits the exterior emergency release instructions better.. with the fastener holes in it, I am going to focus on trying to find that instruction decal. There is an emergency release instruction decal in there I just don't know what it says.. It would be attached inside here... (I realize Boeing said inside the aft door but there is another decal that goes there, very similar and only one digit off the Hicks placard number)

I know it doesn't match the outer panel with finger holes, I don't know about the inner one.

I looked it up years ago and it is my notes,, I'll see if I can find the source again.. but I did find that the emergency airstair system did also have an exterior system, it also used a red handle and was pulled.

The Hicks placard has what appear to be fastener tears in it.. obviously a decal doesn't need fasteners. DUH.. I was speculating that the fasteners were for the removable panel that the decal was affixed to. If the panel had a decal, was removed then replaced with new fasteners for example,, the decal would now be under the fasteners... You always misread my comments, those tear patterns are not from a decal just stuck on a wall and you are correct, it doesn't match any other decal.. So, where did those tears come from..

I had to go way back in my notes... Originally, I had speculated that Cooper failed to use the main control because it requires a button to pressed on the top of the handle. When that failed he used the emergency system and the placard was attached to the removable door. (that may account for the fasteners) The only indicator light was "not locked".. "Tina noticed the red indicator light on the second officer’s panel indicating Airstair operation. A RED light indicated the Airstairs were unlocked. IMPORTANT- A RED LIGHT INDICATES AIRSTAIRS OPEN BUT NOT LOCKED UP OR DOWN. AN AMBER LIGHT INDICATES AIRSTAIR LEVER IN RAISING POSITION. A GREEN LIGHT INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED" However, I moved away from that when I found the statements from the FBI and the fact that the FBI had to know if Cooper used the emergency system. The ONLY way this works now is if the FBI knows Cooper used the emergency system and is lying about it. Otherwise, they could not determine if the placard came from Cooper.

The 727-200 is different from the 727-100.. From Northwest maintenance manual.. Northwest 727-51 (100 series) and Northwest 727-251 (200 series) Northwest 727-51 (Norjak) I don't see the emergency system here, doesn't mean it isn't there. Northwest 727-251

Issues. If Cooper used the optional emergency system the FBI would have known. The FBI claimed the placard was noticed missing after the flight test, not before and it may have come from the test or even another 727. Why claim that? Either the FBI couldn't determine it came from Cooper or they did and are lying. I don't think we will ever solve this now.

The FBI had more info and access to resources then than we do now,, publicly for some reason they did not determine or conclude the Hicks placard came from Cooper. They immediately walked back the Sheriff's assertions. There are only two possibilities. The Hicks placard can't be confirmed from Cooper. or... The FBI knows it came from Cooper and they are lying.

Eric Ulis wrote.. "I have no issue with the wording. It is a door whether it's on a hinge or not.Nonetheless, Boeing verified this placard described the use of the emergency airstair release behind the two-hole door/panel." They did? Boeing only described it as being near the aft door.. Is Eric exaggerating again or did Boeing actually verify that?

Is there an echo in here.. I said that it doesn't show the Placard.. Some airlines 727-100 safety cards don't show the optional emergency system, The NW Orient safety card will indicate whether their 727's had that system.

Hicks decal doesn't exactly match either system.. 727-100 Main system.. open access panel and push control lever outward.. Not even close Optional system.. remove panel, break flange and pull red handle.. Close We need to know which model and 727 variant that decal is used on.. there are many different emergency airstair release decals for 727's.. The safety card may tell us if NWA 727's had the optional emergency release system not the placard itself..

The NWA 727-100 safety card would indicate it.. another,, decals don't match Hicks.. Hicks also states "open access door", this system instructions are to "remove" access door and break flange