The father of the deceased pilot is speaking out after his son died under strange circumstances.
Charles Hew Crooks, 23, died after exiting a plane that was about to make an emergency landing. But right now, there are many questions as to how and why he exited the plane in the first place, which ended up landing safely with the other pilot still on board.
The family is struggling to process the devastating event. Hew Crooks spoke to WRAL about his son. He stated: “We can’t process it right now. I don’t know.” He went on to say that his son loved flying. “He said a couple weeks ago, he wouldn’t trade places with anybody in the world. He loved where he was.”
On July 29, 2022, Charles Hew Crooks and another pilot were flying a twin-engine CASA CN-212 Aviocar. The other pilot asked to make an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport because of issues with the landing gear. At some point, Charles exited the plane. The aircraft landed at approximately 2:40 p.m. with only the other pilot aboard. That pilot sustained only minor injuries.
Darshan Patel, Wake County Emergency Management spokesperson, stated that it is not clear why Charles exited the plane. He was not wearing a parachute. Based on current evidence, officials hypothesize Charles either jumped or fell out of the plane.
Hew described how his son began working toward getting his private pilot license during college, saying, "I think he got that when he was a sophomore.” He went on to say that he was certified and qualified to fly in almost any conditions. He was even a flight instructor.
One day after the incident, Charles' body was found in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina in the backyard of a suburban home. The unidentified family, who was home at the time of the event, stated that they heard a thud but could not find its source. It was not until police arrived and searched on Saturday that they found out what the noise was.
Hew and his family are left wondering what happened in Charles’ final moments that led to him exiting the plane. “I can’t imagine what happened," his father said. "We’ll figure it out, I suppose.”
Hew stated that his family will never be the same: “We’re a strong family and we’re a very loving family. But this, it leaves a hole.”
