By Antonio Planas -
NBC News
The co-pilot of a small plane who died in July when he inexplicably fell from the plane before landing at a North Carolina airport suffered an accident, according to the autopsy.
Charles Hew Crooks, 23, was flying a CASA CN-212 Aviocar plane from a private company on July 29 that dropped paratroopers from its rear ramp.
The landing gear was damaged during an attempt to land, when only the pilot and Crook were on board.
They reported the incident to air traffic control and right after the plane encountered turbulence and Crooks told the pilot that he was not feeling well, according to the aforementioned report.
Charles Hew Crooks.Courtesy Crooks family
“They were flying at approximately 3,500 feet with the rear ramp open for ventilation.
The aircraft encountered moderate turbulence," the report says, and Crooks "opened a cockpit window to ventilate and possibly vomit."
"Shortly thereafter, he told the pilot that he felt like he was going to vomit and apologized. He then walked out of the cockpit onto the open rear ramp; at some point, the pilot realized that [his partner] had apparently fallen. of the aircraft," he adds.
The man sustained multiple injuries in the accidental fall, according to an autopsy obtained Wednesday by NBC News.
The report concluded that Crooks "did not suffer from any significant natural disease" nor had he used alcohol or drugs.
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The National Transportation Safety Board investigation revealed that Crooks appeared "visibly upset" when he told the pilot that he felt unwell and needed air.
The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, told investigators that Crooks unsuccessfully tried to grab onto a rail six feet above the ramp, according to the report.
Crooks' body was found in a Fuquay-Varina neighborhood, southwest of Raleigh, about five hours later, after a resident heard a noise in his backyard.
Crooks' father, Hew Crooks, told the local NBC News station in Raleigh that his son was a certified flight instructor who had spent years working to become a pilot.
The plane from which the co-pilot fell on July 29, 2022.NBC News
“He got his private pilot's license when he was in college,” he explained to the station, “he said a couple of weeks ago that he wouldn't trade for anyone in the world.
He loved where he was."
"I can't imagine what has happened," he added.
