Charles Hew Crooks: Co-pilot who jumped from plane 'got up, apologized, and exited aircraft'!
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has disclosed that a North Carolina co-pilot, who plunged to his death from a plane, was distressed over losing the aircraft’s right main landing gear. Charles Hew Crooks died on July 29 after falling from the CASA 212 he was flying along with a pilot. His body was later found behind a house near Sunset Lake and Hilltop Needmore roads.
The report said that Charles and the pilot-in-command had done two skydiving runs and were about to do a third one as they jetted back to Raeford West Airport when the craft’s right main landing gear got defunct during a hard landing. At the time, the 23-year-old was in-charge as told by the main pilot to the NTSB. The main pilot, whose name has not been revealed, also claimed that he then took the charge of the small plane and commanded Charles to announce an emergency as well as ask for a diversion to Raleigh-Durham International Airport for landing.
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How did Charles Hew Crooks die? 911 call reveals pilot JUMPED out of plane before emergency landing
However, minutes after that, the young man became “visibly upset,” the report citing the pilot mentioned. It also noted that Charles unfastened the side cockpit window and “may have gotten sick” before adding that eventually, the unnamed pilot had to manage radio communication as well as Charles “got up from his seat, removed his headset, apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door.”
Besides, audio recordings of 911 calls and radio traffic showed that the pilot had informed about Charles falling from the aircraft without a parachute. However, he never mentioned that the co-pilot was upset or not feeling well before taking the leap, the report stated. A controller reportedly told the 911 dispatcher, “We have a pilot that was inbound to the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He made an impact on the ground and here are the coordinates. All we can do is recovery at this point. I mean, I don't know. I've never heard...this is the craziest thing I've ever heard.”
After the plane landed at the airport, the pilot was moved to Duke Hospital for examination as he had suffered minor injuries while the plane’s inspection showed “substantial damage” to the “landing gear, landing gear fittings and the airframe structure where the fittings attach,” the report added.
Meanwhile, a eulogy for Charles describes him as someone who loved flying. “Only days before his death, Charlie shared with his parents that he was exactly where he wanted to be doing exactly what he wanted to do. Not many get the chance to live that way,” it states.
The obituary mentions, “Aviation was Charlie's overriding passion practically from birth. He read every flight book he could get his hands on and was known occasionally to wear one on his head for transcranial absorption of knowledge. As a young teenager, he built an actual flight simulator and developed a love for flying remote control planes,” before adding, “The resume of Charlie's life could never fully describe the legacy he leaves. He was guided always by a strong moral compass; a fierce love for and loyalty to his family and friends; and a heart that was open and forgiving. He gave everyone a chance. His sense of humor was legendary - the far side of The Far Side.”