(CNN)Copilot died after exiting plane while flying over North Carolina National Transportation Security The commission's preliminary report described him as possibly ill and "visibly shaken" before stepping off the plane without his parachute.
The plane was a twin-engine CASA CN-212 Aviocar and was operated as a skydiving flight, the NTSB report said. Already he had done two skydives and was on his way to pick up the third group. According to reports, when Crooks flew the plane on his descent to Raeford West airport, the plane descended below the tree line and "dropped".
While attempting to re-raise the plane, the right main landing gear "slammed into the surface of the runway" causing a hard landing. According to the report, the captain took over the controls from Crookes and again he reached over 400 feet, declared an emergency and instructed him to request a diversion to Durham International Airport for landing. Did.
At this point, Crooks was in charge of communicating with air traffic control while the pilot in charge was flying the plane. Encountering turbulence on the way to the airport, Crook was "visibly shaken" by his landing about 20 minutes into the flight, the report said.
The pilot in charge said Crooks had opened the side cockpit window and "may have become ill," at which point the pilot in charge took over radio communications. the report said. According to reports, Crooks lowered the ramp at the rear of the plane, indicating that he "felt he was going to be sick and needed air." The co-pilot got up from his seat, removed his headset, apologized and said he had taken off the plane through the rear ramp door," the report said.
The pilot said there was a bar that Crooks may have grabbed about six feet above the ramp, but he never saw Crooks grab it before exiting the plane. was. The pilot turned the plane to look for Crook and informed air traffic control that Crook had left the plane.
The pilot made an emergency landing at the airport. The NTSB reported that on inspection after the accident, the plane had significant damage to the landing gear lift and airframe structure.
Reports say the plane is being held for further inspection and the incident is still under investigation.