After audio showed that the plane lost its wheel shortly after takeoff, new details emerged about the death of a man who fell without a parachute.
Charles Crooks’ family has been left looking for answers after the 23-year-old’s mysterious death.
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“I don’t know,” Hew Crooks, Charles’ father, told WRAL. “We can’t process it right now, I don’t know.”
Charles, a famous author “flying fanatic”He was co-pilot on a small airplane that had an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Charles was however not there when it landed.
Later, his body was found after officers were flagged by a neighbor who described hearing the incident. “something”In their Fuquay-Varina yard.
Flight-tracking software indicated that both pilots called Air Traffic Control to inform them of the accident.
One of the copilots stated that they attempted to land at Raeford Airport but failed. “made a hard landing, deciding to go around and at that point, we lost the wheel.”
One of the pilots called Fayetteville ATC Control during the flight for assistance in rerouting the aircraft to RDU.
One of them says “We’ve lost our right wheel- we’d like to proceed to Raleigh and make a landing.”
Two co-pilots could still be heard saying that enough fuel was available to keep the plane in the air for four more hours before landing. “Quick question, how do you intend to land at Raleigh-Durham?”
One of the men replied, “Get as low as we can and I guess we’re going to put it on the belly.”
The pilot then reported to authorities via radio that his co-pilot had jumped out of the plane without a parachutist.
The plane landed on a runway, but the missing wheel caused it spin out and to skid off the runway.
Officials said that the pilot of the aircraft was fine after he was taken to the hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct the investigation.
Hew claims that Charles had pursued his pilot license in college.
“I think he got that when he was a sophomore, he said a couple weeks ago, he wouldn’t trade places with anybody in the world. He loved where he was.”
Charles’ father stated that Charles had been a flight instructor for more than one year and was certified to fly in any conditions.
“We’re a strong family and we’re a very loving family. But this, it leaves a hole,”He said so to his father. “I don’t know. We can’t process it right now.”
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