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NTSB’s Final Report Leaves Unanswered Questions in Copilot’s Fatal Fall

Investigators could not definitively determine whether copilot Charles Crooks fell or jumped to his death during the emergency landing of a CASA C-212 in July 2022.

Amelia Walsh
Verified
Edited By: tccjeremy
The CASA 212 is a fixed-gear design with a ramp that lowers in the rear to allow for the egress of skydivers. [File Photo Courtesy: US Air Classics]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The NTSB's final report on the July 2022 incident involving a CASA C-212 could not definitively determine whether copilot Charles Crooks fell or intentionally jumped to his death mid-flight.
  • The emergency began after the aircraft encountered wind shear during a landing approach, resulting in a hard landing and the detachment of the right main landing gear.
  • Following the hard landing, a visibly upset Crooks opened his side cockpit window, lowered the aft ramp, and exited the airplane while it was still in flight.
  • Investigators listed the probable cause as the wind shear, hard landing, and the pilot's subsequent decision to leave his seat in flight, which led to his fall from the airplane.
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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 C-212 in July 2022, per a newly released final report.

New details reveal the incident occurred during a skydiving operation at Raeford West Airport (NR20) in North Carolina. The pilots were on approach to pick up another group of skydivers with second in command (SIC) Crooks flying. According to the NTSB report, the approach was stable until the aircraft descended below the tree line and encountered wind shear. Crooks initiated a go-around, but before establishing a climb, the right main landing gear struck the runway surface and then detached.

Amelia Walsh

Amelia Walsh is a private pilot who enjoys flying her family’s Columbia 350. She is based in Colorado and loves all things outdoors including skiing, hiking, and camping.

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