Who Was Charles Crook? North Carolina Pilot’s Body Found After He Jumped or Fell from Plane

A North Carolina pilot named Charles Crook died mysteriously after jumping or falling off a small cargo plane. The 23-year-old was serving as the co-pilot when the plane lost its right wheel and had to perform an emergency landing. However, Crooks fell off of it without any parachute.

IMG 202207212 212309925

The local police are investigating the mysterious accident. The other co-pilot initiated the emergency landing at the grass area at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The plane didn’t have any passengers traveling.

Several first responders were at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and many other officers searched the area and the plane’s flight path to find Crook’s body. He jumped on Friday afternoon and then his body was found in the evening near a residential area in Fuquay-Varina.


Why Did Charles Crook Jump Off the Plane Without Parachute?


It’s speculated that Charles Crook jumped off the plane or fell off of it mistakenly after its landing gear suffered a fault and the plane lost its right wheel. Fortunately, the other pilot, whose identity is unknown at the time of writing, performed the emergency landing at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

IMG 202207212 212338720

The plane only had Charles and the other pilot and no passenger. Crook’s body was found in Fuquay-Varina on Friday after an extensive search. The Police said that the body landed about 30 to 30 feet from a house and its residents alerted law enforcement officers searching the area.

Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Brandon Medina confirmed Crook’s body fell at least 3,500 feet. However, it isn’t clear if he was immediately dead after the crash or died after some time.


How did Charles Crook Die?


Charles Crook died due to suffering fatal injuries after falling off the plane from 3,500 feet above. His body has been sent for autopsy and the police are investigating the case. Chief Median didn’t confirm whether the investigation would be treated as a criminal case but described it as “unique.”

They are waiting for the other pilot to recover completely and provide an official statement about what happened inside the plane before Crook jumped off. Crook’s family revealed that he recently earned his pilot’s license and loves to fly.

Charles Crook’s Family Couldn’t Process the Loss

When asked about his son’s death, Hew Crooks, the father of late pilot Charles Crooks said, “We can’t process it now, I don’t know.”

IMG 202207212 212409315

“He got his private pilot license during his studies. I think he got that in sophomore year. He said a few weeks ago he wouldn’t switch places with anyone in the world. He loved where he was,” he added.

“We couldn’t imagine what happened. We’ll find out, I suppose,” he concluded the statement.


Local, State, and Federal Authorities Investigating the Accident

The FAA and National Transporation Safety Board are investigating the incident alongside the local authorities. They are trying to figure out if Charles fell off mistakenly, jumped off willingly, or if there was some sort of foul play involved.

However, the initial investigation has ruled out the possibility of any mysterious happening and it seems Charles jumped off the plane due to the fear that the plane was crashing. The other pilot was the only person on the plane when it made an emergency landing.

Once the reports of Crook’s medical examination are available, we’ll have more details about the case. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated.

this article originally posted on bareillycollege.org