Copilot’s Departure of Aircraft in Mid-Flight Baffles Authorities

Co-pilot departs aircraft without a parachute before emergency landing.

Monday, August 01, 2022 at 04:18 PM ET

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A CASA C-212 Aviocar, similar to this one, made an emergency, one-wheel landing Friday at KRDU. [Courtesy: US Air Classics]

Key Takeaways:

A copilot, Charles Crooks, died after departing a CASA C-212 aircraft mid-flight without a parachute during an emergency flight in North Carolina.
The aircraft, en route to Raleigh-Durham International Airport for an emergency belly landing after losing its right wheel, was carrying only the pilot and copilot.
Crooks' body was found in a backyard 20 miles from the airport, and authorities are baffled as to how and why he departed the plane.
The pilot successfully belly-landed the aircraft with minor injuries and reportedly told authorities the copilot jumped, aiming for a lake.

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Federal authorities and those in Wake County, North Carolina, are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the departure of a non-parachute-wearing copilot from an aircraft in mid-flight heading toward Raleigh-Durham International Airport (KRDU).

The airplane, a Spanish made CASA C-212 Aviocar, is an unpressurized, high-wing, turboprop with fixed landing gear. Registered to Spore LTD, in Colorado, the C-212 is designed for cargo hauling and is popular with skydiving operations.