23-Year-Old Co-Pilot Jumps or Falls Before Emergency Landing

Twenty-three-year-old co-pilot Charles Hew Crooks was found dead after exiting a plane making an emergency landing. He and an unidentified pilot took off about 90 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina, when the plane suddenly lost a wheel. After the dramatic emergency landing, the pilot reportedly told police his co-pilot had jumped or fallen from the plane. Crooks' body was found in a backyard 20 miles from the airport. It's theorized that the co-pilot slipped out of the rear cargo door.

[TheMorganGibson]

No matter how that young man exited the plane, this is such a sad story

[canatolakhoemini]

That's 25 seconds of free fall. Damn. That poor kid had forever knowing his fate. I can't believe it. My heart hurts for everyone involved. RIP.

[Division_]

I can’t get over the age of this young man. This is just sad all around

[Rocksarecool]

May he rest in peace. This is some heartbreaking story. I could not imagine being a dad and waking up in the middle of the night just to find out my son has died. Truly heartbreaking, he'll forever been in our hearts.

[epimaz]

That has to be traumatic for the family of the victim and whoever found a body in their backyard.

[robertjenkins]

Something serious wrong with this, you just don't jump or fall out of an aircraft at 4000 feet. Nothing was mentioned about that until the plane was on the ground from the second pilot. This really needs to be investigated more.

[gerpherthegamer]

I'd imagine he was trying to see or thought he could assess the damaged gear, likely causing him to fall out. Given his age, he may have unfortunately overestimated his abilities, and the pilot may not have immediately known that he had fallen out.

[professionalamateur]

There was probably suspicious about this, but we don’t know the details (at least for now). But this is a truly heartbreaking incident. And whichever way he exited the plane, this is still a really terrible story. Rest In Peace, young man.

[markschonfeld]

Poor kid. I can’t help but try to imagine what his last moments were like and they just seem so awful. May he Rest In Peace.

[polyboiplays]

Missing co-pilot and having to endure landing gear malfunctions… props to the pilot still flying that plane to not only secure himself, but the people around him in those devastating circumstances.👏

[LonerBecause]

Sending my condolences to his loved ones

[crowbarduck]

To all the "aviation experts" in the comments who probably never left the ground or spent a moment around anything thats not a commercial airliner. Not everything is foul play. Mistakes happen and if the co pilot wasn't in his seat the other pilot was too focused on bringing the plane down. It's a plane used for skydiving they're setup different than the average puddle jumper or jet liner. The Co pilot could have fallen out if for whatever reason they had the door open and he was in the rear of the plane. I doubt at 4000 feet though it was an intentional jump more likely he slipped and either tried to hold on or he fell out at that high. I highly doubt after having one aborted landing pass and on his way to make another landing the pilot got out of his seat got anywhere away from the controls on a damaged plane and threw his Co pilot out. Wait for more information comes out before you start damning a man who just brought a broken plane down safely for everyone else

[aaronjensen]

Fly high Mr. Crooks, you died way too young. He will be deeply and sadly missed.

[smithmark]

Absolutely tragedy, terrible God bless the family very sorry for your loss.

[sarahgupton]

He fell. I wish people would stop saying he jumped. He didn’t. The plane was a jump plane with a ramp in the back. He fell out of the opening. RIP.😢

[MrCydiaWTF]

I grew up with Charles brother, such a sad story may he Rest In Peace.

[Susan-renc]

This literally happened so close to my house. 2 miles away, and the amount of grief i feel for that family is unexplainable. may he rest easy 🙏

[cartert]

They attempted to land at another airport, had a hard landing and did a go-around (where they basically abort the landing and get back airborne). They damaged the landing gear on right side and decided to divert to Raleigh, likely because it has crash vehicles and longer runway.

This plane has a ramp door on the back. I'm going to put my money on what happened was - he was trying to inspect the landing gear for damage and fell out the back of the plane. Probably trying to look out the back cargo door or a side door and was pulled out of the aircraft. Odd event nevertheless.

[lurategh]

I live in the Raleigh area and remember learning about this the day it happened. Multiple first responder/emergency agencies across the county spent the day searching along the flight path and actually weren't too far from the right spot before the residents in Fuquay reported a loud noise behind their house and everyone converged there. Literally falling from the sky...I can't even imagine. The stuff of nightmares. Absolutely tragic.

[toupac]

He was checking the gear and didn't make smart decisions about safety. Jumping should NOT be in your title!