Two people were on board when the plane took off, though an airport spokesman told CNN affiliate WRAL that only the pilot was on board when it landed. The pilot’s condition was not released Friday. The body of the man believed to be the co-pilot was recovered in Fuquay-Varina just before 7 p.m., Wake County Emergency Management spokesman Darshan Patel said during a news conference. A resident had alerted officers who were searching the area that they heard something in their backyard, Patel said. The co-pilot was identified as Charles Hew Crooks, 23, of Raleigh, according to the Fuquay-Varina Police Department. It’s unclear whether Crooks jumped or fell from the plane, authorities say. Crooks was not wearing a parachute when his body was recovered, Patel said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Fuquay-Varina is located about 15 miles southwest of Raleigh.
