A new angle on the D.B. Cooper mystery arrives with “Hunting History with Steven Rinella.” Instead of another deep look into the skyjacker’s identity, the series premiere focuses on the practical question of whether the man could have possibly survived his jump into the wilderness. Rinella, a wilderness expert, brings his unique skillset to the table in an examination of one of the great unsolved crimes of the 20th century.
Rinella’s method here is to analyze the terrain Cooper would have had to contend with after his infamous leap from the plane in 1971. Venturing into the Cascade Mountain range, he will look to test survival strategies against the same environment that Cooper would have faced. It’s a novel approach to a well-worn mystery, bringing some much-needed fresh ideas to the subject and asking us to re-examine the established narratives about the incident.
“Hunting History” looks to team Rinella up with various other experts to investigate historical mysteries, exploring human interaction with the environment and how it shapes the narratives. This premiere episode airs on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 10:03 PM on History.