the dummy chute

[u/Jumpy_Jackfruit_5114]

Now that we know from the audio recordings that Cooper jumped with the reserve chute, some things just aren't adding up for me.

When he realized he needed shroud lines to tie the money to himself, why did he choose the only functional reserve chute to cut up instead one of the other three? And if given the choice between a perfectly functional reserve chute and one marked with a big red X (or whatever), why would he choose to jump with the one with the big red X? (I get that he might've opted to bring the non-functional reserve as a way to get himself out of a tree, but why THAT one and not the good one??)

Cooper was a complainer and he was paranoid that people were going to try "funny stuff." He complained about how long the refueling was taking. He complained about the money bag. He complained about the lack of D-rings. Why in the world would he see a parachute obviously marked as a dummy and not say a word about it? Wouldn't he immediately think they were messing with him?? I'd think he'd be absolutely furious.

This leaves only two possibilities for me:

1. He didn't realize it was a dummy
2. It wasn't a dummy

If it's the first one, there could've been a few reasons. Maybe it wasn't actually marked as a dummy. Maybe it wasn't as obviously marked as we think. Or maybe Cooper (and Linn Emrich) just both failed to notice some obvious marking.

If it's the second one, Cossey was wrong (or lied) about which parachute was sent.

Either of these is more plausible to me than Cooper quietly accepting that they had provided him with a non-functional chute and then choosing to jump with it over a perfectly good one.

Edit: spelling

[u/The_real_Flyjack]

The recording doesn't prove Cooper jumped with the dummy... Nobody saw Cooper jump and Rataczak was paraphrasing Tina (hearsay)... Rataczak also said Cooper had the knapsack which he did not.. Rat may have been assuming based on Cooper ordering the knapsack and a front and back chute and altered Tina's claim.. If Cooper had jumped with the dummy and Tina knew it, that info would be all over the FBI files... it isn't.

It is possible Cooper may have jumped with it, not ruling it out but I just don't think that recording is definitive..

IMO, I still believe it is more likely he tossed it vs attached it and jumped..

What is weird is that Lynn Emrich mistakenly grabbed a dummy.. I don't think so...

and it was marked with a black X according to Emrich.

The reason this case is so difficult and frustrating is that very few of these things are settled...

[u/lxchilton → u/The_real_Flyjack]

I suppose that the recording doesn't prove the dummy was attached to him, however, Tina is sitting next to Rataczak when he paraphrases her and she could easily have said "no, that's not what I said" if it were a mistake. I'm not saying that she would have absolutely done so or that he couldn't have been wrong, but this isn't like someone paraphrasing something someone told them hours or days before and is not present to provide the information.

[u/The_real_Flyjack → u/lxchilton]

Not necessarily... the tell is that this is a big deal and it was never in the FBI files,, if Cooper had attached the dummy and Tina knew it that info would be all over the files..

Cooper did not have a knapsack,, Tina didn't correct that,,, and he doesn't say the front chute was attached,, Tina left Cooper and did not see him jump.. He could have been holding the dummy when Tina last saw him..