Charles Hew Crooks, a pilot who jumped to his death from a plane flying over North Carolina in July, reportedly told his colleague that he felt sick and needed air before “exiting” the plane without a parachute on July 29.
According to NBC News quoting a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report, the 23-year-old was the second-in-command of the CASA CN-212 Aviocar plane. He reportedly became “visibly upset” after the plane hit the runway on a landing upon ferrying skydivers. Crooks then declared an emergency and informed air traffic controllers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, before breaking communication.
The report added that the 23-year-old allegedly “exited” via the aircraft’s aft ramp door after he removed his headset and apologized to the senior pilot. The investigation of the accident is underway.