A DAD told how he found a trove of dollar bills linked to a famous skyjacking.

Brian Ingram was just 8 when he unearthed three packets of $20 bills, later classified as ransom money demanded by DB Cooper.

The identity of DB Cooper remains unknown and continues to fascinate Americans – more than 50 years on from the infamous plane hijacking.

Cooper hijacked a plane heading to Seattle from Portland in November 1971 and demanded parachutes and $200,000 in cash.

The plane landed in Seattle before taking off again and Cooper is believed to have jumped out of the Boeing 727 aircraft somewhere near the Oregon-Washington border.

Ingram found $5,880 worth of $20 bills in 1980.

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FBI agents examined the money and verified it using the serial numbers.

Ingram revealed that he found the loot by the Columbia River when he and his dad were building a campfire.

"I took my arm and raked it along the sand, and then I felt something fluffed up in the sand," Ingram said as reported by The Oklahoman.

Years later, he reflected upon his find and was unaware of how much the bills could be worth.

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"If it's a little better than OK, then college and a down payment on a house. If it's better than that, then college and we'll buy a house," he said.

Ingram ended up selling 15 of the bills at an auction and the loot raked in $37,000.

FBI agents kept 13 bills as part of their investigation into the case.

Ingram revealed he hoped the money would be able to go toward his kids’ education, per The Associated Press.

Cooper has never been seen since his disappearance.

Investigators revealed Cooper bought a one-way plane ticket on the Northwest Orient Airlines flight heading to Seattle.

Cooper, thought to be in his 40s, was quiet and unassuming.

Michael Cooper, a teacher on board the flight, recalled his experience on board the jet.

He told The U.S. Sun Cooper was sporting a jacket and tie, and looked cool.

“Whenever I looked at him, he just looked right back and stared at me, like he was the boss,” Michael said.

Before the plane departed, Cooper ordered a bourbon and soda drink.

He then handed a stewardess a note, warning her that he had a bomb, and asked her to sit next to him.

“Miss, I have a bomb and would like you to sit by me,” the note said.

'A COOL CHARACTER'

He then unlocked a case that contained wires and red sticks.

Cooper is believed to have ordered the stewardess to scribe everything he told her.

A note demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in $20 bills.

The plane landed in Seattle around two-and-a-half hours later than anticipated.

Michael said he had no idea the plane was being hijacked.

He thought that there was a problem with the aircraft.

Bill Mitchell, who was also on board the flight, knew something was odd because the journey to Seattle from Portland was only meant to be 30 minutes.

A total of 36 passengers and two flight attendants were allowed to leave the jet.

The plane was refueled before departing again en route to Mexico City.

Cooper ordered pilots to fly the plane at just 10,000 feet.

He parachuted off the plane around 30 minutes into the second flight, vanishing without a trace.

FBI investigators closed the DB Cooper case in 2016, but the mystery still attracts interest.

Retired FBI agents have offered an insight into the mistakes Cooper made as he tried to execute the skyjacking.

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Larry Carr, an agent on the case between 2007 and 2010, speculated evidence such as Cooper’s tie is being re-examined by investigators.

Eric Ulis, who has been probing the case for over a decade, believes the mystery could be solved by the end of the year.

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