NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
The North Carolina pilot who died after falling from a plane actually jumped out of the plane, according to a recording of a 911 call made by his co-pilot after the accident.
Charles Hugh Crooks, 23, was flying a 10-person plane with only one other co-pilot on board when he plunged to his death on July 29. It was initially unclear whether he had fallen from the plane or had jumped of his own accord. However, a recording of a 911 call by air traffic controllers shows the man jumped.
The controllers called the police shortly after speaking with the remaining co-pilot. They indicated that the co-pilot told them that the Crooks had ejected from the damaged plane, leaving the co-pilot to make an emergency landing.
“We have a pilot that was approaching the field,” a controller said during the call, according to WNCN. “His co-pilot jumped out of the plane, hit it on the ground, and here are the coordinates.
FRONTIER FLIGHT TURNED INTO RALLY AFTER UNRULED PASSENGER’S CATALOG Caught ON VIDEO
Wake County Chief of Emergency Management Operations Darshan Patel speaks to a group of reporters on July 29, 2022. (Wake County Government/Twitter)
Authorities say the plane sustained damage to its fuselage and landing gear at some point before the emergency landing.
NORTH CAROLINA MAN CHARGED IN FORT BRAGG SOLDIER’S MURDER
Police are still investigating the incident and have not made a final determination as to whether Crooks jumped.
Crooks did not have a parachute and his body was discovered after a family reported he had landed a stone’s throw from their house.
The man’s father says Crooks had been working as a flight instructor for about a year, according to WRAL. He didn’t know how his son could have jumped.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“He said a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t trade places with anyone in the world. He loved where he was,” he told the station, adding: “I can’t imagine what happened.”
Add Comment