911 Call Reveals Nc Pilot Charley Hew Crooks Jumped From Plane

Two FAA officials were heard saying that co-pilot Charles Hew Crooks reported jumping out of the damaged plane before it made an emergency landing at Raleigh Durham International Airport on Friday, WRAL reported. “This is from the Raleigh airport,” an FAA air traffic controller said on the recording. “We have a pilot who was entering the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. It hit the ground and here are the coordinates.” The body of the 23-year-old Bucknell University student was later discovered in the backyard of a home in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, about 30 miles south of the airport. Wake County Emergency Management officials told WRAL the initial 911 call came in at 2:30 p.m. of Friday. The aircraft, a CASA 212-200, made an emergency landing about 18 minutes later, WRAL reported.Twitter/Simon PalmoreThe body of Charles Hew Crooks, 23, was discovered July 29 in the backyard of a home in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina , about 30 miles south of Raleigh Durham International Airport, where the plane made an emergency landing after losing its right wheel. In the 13-minute call, an FAA official said Crooks’ co-pilot had reported that he “jumped out without the parachute, so he may have hit the ground.” “I’m sure the pilot will be shaken up,” said an FAA official. “I have no idea. He literally said, ‘My pilot just jumped out.’ The recording captured FAA officials frantically trying to figure out what happened to Crooks. “I guess right now, all we can do is recover,” an FAA controller told a dispatcher. “I don’t know. I don’t know. This is the craziest thing ever.” Wake County Emergency Management officials told WRAL the initial 911 call came in at 2:30 p.m. of Friday. The aircraft, a CASA 212-200, made an emergency landing about 18 minutes later, WRAL reported. The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the ongoing investigation. Preliminary information indicates that the aircraft sustained significant damage to its landing gear and fuselage, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing.WRAL “Once the aircraft landed, it was confirmed based on a report that the pilot said the person on the aircraft had exited the aircraft prior to landing,” Wake County Emergency Management Chief Darshan Patel told the station. Crooks’ co-pilot, whose identity has not been released, was taken to hospital with minor injuries during the landing. He was discharged later that day. Crooks, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was working as a pilot for Colorado-based Rampart Aviation at the time of the doomed flight, according to his LinkedIn page. “I hold a commercial pilot’s license with single and multiple engine ratings along with tailwheel and high performance endorsements,” the profile states. Crooks, who was also a certified flight instructor, previously taught clients at North Carolina-based FlightGest Academy, according to the profile. Crooks’ father, Hew Crooks, told WRAL he had no idea what happened in his son’s final moments. “We can’t process it right now,” he said. “I do not know.” Devin Lynch, a friend of Crooks, said the incident did not match what he knew about the late pilot. “I’ve known Charles for three years,” Lynch told WRAL. “He was a pilot from the day I met him. I have flown with him a few times and can tell you first hand what kind of pilot he was. Follow every rule to the letter.” Lynch said he would like to hear what the cockpit voice recorders picked up at the time. “I would be interested to hear the CVR recording because I would like to hear what was going on in the cockpit that was not shared with air traffic control,” Lynch said. A man who identified himself as Crooks’ brother declined to comment when reached by The Post Wednesday. “I’m not interested,” he said before hanging up. The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the ongoing investigation. Initial reports indicate that the aircraft sustained significant damage to its landing gear and fuselage, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing. The pilots were flying at the time for Rampart Aviation, which has not responded to inquiries about the nature of the flight, WRAL reported.