How D.B. Cooper inspired a St. Louis airplane hijacker

In 1971, a single crime created an American legend. A man known only as D.B. Cooper bailed out of a plane with $200,000 and a parachute, never to be seen again.

But Cooper did more than create a personal legend. His actions prompted several people to attempt similar hijackings, including in St. Louis in 1972. The hijacker in that case, Martin McNally, successfully hijacked an American Airlines flight departing Lambert-St. Louis International Airport — but during his escape, he dropped the ransom of $500,000.

McNally’s crimes in St. Louis form the core of the new book “American Flight 119: How D.B. Cooper Inspired a Skyjacking Craze and the FBI’s Battle to Stop It,” by University of Missouri history professor John Wigger.