Two FAA employees at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport Tower told a Raleigh-Wake County 911 dispatcher that the surviving pilot reported that his co-pilot jumped out of the plane last week before it made an emergency landing. The body of Charles Hew Crooks, 23, was found the evening of July 29 in a Fuquay-Varina yard, hours after the plane landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Crooks was one of the two pilots of the CASA 212-200 plane. “This is from the Raleigh airport,” an FAA official said in a recording obtained Tuesday by WRAL News. “We have a pilot coming into the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He hit the ground and here are the coordinates.” The recording, a call between those at the airport and 911 dispatchers, lasts about 13 minutes. “He said he jumped out of the plane,” an FAA official said. “His co-pilot jumped out without the parachute so he could hit the ground.” Wake County Emergency Management Operations Director Darshan Patel said the initial 911 call came in around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29 from the RDU. Patel said the call is what prompted the search for Crooks. Flight logs show the emergency landing took place at 2:48 p.m FAA officials tried to figure out what happened. “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 rogues had no harness or parachute. Patel told WRAL News, “Once the aircraft landed, it was confirmed based on a report that the pilot said the second person on the aircraft had exited the aircraft prior to landing.” “I guess right now, all we can do is a recovery,” an FAA official said. “I know. I don’t know. This is the craziest thing ever.”
The NTSB is handling the investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that it is taking over the investigation into Crooks’ death. The news comes a day after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would lead the investigation. The RDU Police Department said it interviewed the surviving co-pilot, whose name was not released. RDU police did not release the incident report, citing the ongoing investigation. Airport police turned the interview over to the FAA and NTSB. Initial reports indicate the plane sustained significant damage to its landing gear and fuselage, according to the NTSB. The NTSB will determine the scope of its investigation after more information is gathered. The board has not held interviews since Tuesday. WRAL News also requested interviews with FAA and RDU police. Patel said more than 80 people were involved in the search for Crooks. “In the beginning, it was a pretty large search area, and we wanted to make sure we were using our resources effectively and efficiently to do everything we could for this person,” Patel said. Several law enforcement entities were involved in the search for Crooks, including Wake County Emergency Management, the City of Cary, the City of Holly Springs, the City of Fuquay-Varina and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “It was kind of all hands on deck for the people that were in that area,” Patel said. Authorities discovered Crooks’ body around 7 p.m. Friday, July 29, in the backyard of a Fuquay-Varina home. A neighbor who heard a commotion alerted police officers to the area. Officers found crooks with no sign of harness or parachute. WRAL News is working to determine what the mission of the two pilots was on July 29. Both pilots were working for Rampart Aviation at the time. The company has not responded to WRAL News’ multiple requests for comment.
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title: “Man Told Rdu Tower His Co Pilot Jumped Out Of Plane Before Emergency Landing Wral.Com " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-14” author: “Joshua Fitzgerald”
Two FAA employees at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport Tower told a Raleigh-Wake County 911 dispatcher that the surviving pilot reported that his co-pilot jumped out of the plane last week before it made an emergency landing. The body of Charles Hew Crooks, 23, was found the evening of July 29 in a Fuquay-Varina yard, hours after the plane landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Crooks was one of the two pilots of the CASA 212-200 plane. “This is from the Raleigh airport,” an FAA official said in a recording obtained Tuesday by WRAL News. “We have a pilot coming into the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He hit the ground and here are the coordinates.” The recording, a call between those at the airport and 911 dispatchers, lasts about 13 minutes. “He said he jumped out of the plane,” an FAA official said. “His co-pilot jumped out without the parachute so he could hit the ground.” Wake County Emergency Management Operations Director Darshan Patel said the initial 911 call came in around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29 from the RDU. Patel said the call is what prompted the search for Crooks. Flight logs show the emergency landing took place at 2:48 p.m FAA officials tried to discern what happened. “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 rogues had no harness or parachute. Patel told WRAL News, “Once the aircraft landed, it was confirmed based on a report that the pilot said the second person on the aircraft had exited the aircraft prior to landing.” “I guess right now, all we can do is a recovery,” an FAA official said. “I know. I don’t know. This is the craziest thing ever.” Devin Lynch, a friend of Crooks, said he wants answers. “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. Lynch said that in the few years he’s known the Crooks, it seemed out of character for him to jump out of a plane without a parachute. “I’ve known Charles three years. He’s been a pilot since the day I met him. I’ve flown with him a few times and I can tell you firsthand what kind of pilot he was. He followed every rule to the letter,” he said.
The NTSB is handling the investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that it is taking over the investigation into Crooks’ death. The news comes a day after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would lead the investigation. The RDU Police Department said it interviewed the surviving pilot, whose name has not been released. RDU police did not release the incident report, citing the ongoing investigation. Airport police turned the interview over to the FAA and NTSB. Initial reports indicate the plane sustained significant damage to its landing gear and fuselage, according to the NTSB. The NTSB will determine the scope of its investigation after more information is gathered. The board has not held interviews since Tuesday. WRAL News also requested interviews with FAA and RDU police. Patel said more than 80 people were involved in the search for Crooks. “In the beginning, it was a pretty large search area, and we wanted to make sure we were using our resources effectively and efficiently to do everything we could for this person,” Patel said. Several law enforcement entities were involved in the search for Crooks, including Wake County Emergency Management, the City of Cary, the City of Holly Springs, the City of Fuquay-Varina and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “It was kind of all hands on deck for the people that were in that area,” Patel said. Authorities discovered Crooks’ body around 7 p.m. Friday, July 29, in the backyard of a Fuquay-Varina home. A neighbor who heard a commotion alerted police officers to the area. Officers found crooks with no sign of harness or parachute. WRAL News is working to determine what the mission of the two pilots was on July 29. Both pilots were working for Rampart Aviation at the time. The company has not responded to WRAL News’ multiple requests for comment.
