A preliminary report released by the national Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday (August 16) shared new details regarding the co-pilot who fatally fell out of an airplane last month.

The plane's pilot in command told federal investigators that Charles Hew Crooks, 23, "became visibly upset about the hard landing" shortly after the vessel diverted to another airport in order to make an emergency landing, the report stated via the Charlotte Observer.

Crooks and the pilot had flown two skydiving runs out of Raeford West Airport and were en route back to the facility for a third run when the plane "dropped" and its landing gear struck a runway, according to the report.

The pilot directed Crooks to declare an emergency and coordinate with air traffic controllers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on an emergency landing.

Crooks reportedly became "visibly upset" about the hard landing after roughly 20 minutes and stopped communicating with air traffic controllers, at which point he "may have gotten sick" and lowered the ramp in the back of the airplane, seemingly indicating that he needed air at the time.

The reports states that Crooks “got up from his seat, removed his headset, apologized and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door."

Earlier this month, a clip of radio calls between an air traffic controller and the pilot of the plane includes the pilot stating, "my co-pilot just ran out the back of the plane."

The clip, which was shared on Soundcloud, includes the pilot reiterating multiple times that Crooks had "jumped out the back of the plane," noting specifically that the man did so "without a parachute."

A full transcript provided by TheDrive.com can be viewed below:

Pilot (P): "Raleigh Approach, Shady 02."

Raleigh Approach (RA): "Shady 02, Raleigh"

P: "My co-pilot just ran out the back of the plane."

RA: "Shady 02, what now?"

P: "He just ran out the back of the plane."

RA: "So you don't have a co-pilot on you, sir?"

P: "No, he just jumped out the back of the plane."

RA: "Uh, roger."

P: "Would you like me to circle where he leapt at?"

RA: "Uh, say that again?"

P: "Would you like me to circle where he got out at, or you got me on track?"

RA: "We've still got you on track, but did you need something else?"

P: "No, the dude literally jumped out the back of the plane without a parachute."

(Seven seconds of silence)

RA: "Shady 02, did you need to do something else, circle or something, or-"

P: "No, I need to land. I'm just making you aware you're gonna have a dead body out where I just called you at. He just jumped out the back of the plane."

RA: "Roger, continue on your heading 0-5-0."

P: "Roger, 0-5-0, 0-2."

Charlotte Restaurant Week®

Summer 2022 Sponsors & Partners:

Medallion Sponsors

Silver Spoon Sponsors

Our Partners