The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) could not definitively determine whether copilot Charles Crooks fell or jumped to his death during the emergency landing of a CASA 212 in July 2022, according to a newly released final report.
New details reveal the incident occurred during a skydiving operation at Raeford West Airport in North Carolina. The pilots were on approach to pick up another group of skydivers with SIC Crooks flying. According to the report, the approach was stable until the aircraft descended below the tree line and encountered windshear. Crooks initiated a go-around, but before establishing a climb, the right main landing gear struck the runway surface and then detached.
The pilots declared an emergency and requested to divert to a larger airport. The PIC took over while Crooks communicated with air traffic control. According to the unnamed PIC, Crooks became visibly upset following the hard landing. He proceeded to open his side cockpit window and lower the ramp in the back of the aircraft, indicating he needed air. Crooks then apologized, left his seat, removed his headset, and ran out of the airplane via the aft ramp door.
According to the report, “Although the PIC and operator reported that the SIC’s departure from the airplane was an intentional act, there was insufficient information to support that assertion.”
Federal investigators also noted that the PIC, who was flying with Crooks, served as chief pilot for the operator, which could have contributed to his stress. Family members told investigators Crooks was “extremely happy” and “loved to fly,” noting that he was in “a fabulous state of mind” prior to the flight.
Ultimately, investigators listed as probable cause “the airplane’s encounter with windshear during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and separation of the right main landing gear, and the pilot’s subsequent decision to leave his seat in flight, which resulted in his fall from the airplane.”
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