The dad of a North Carolina pilot, who died after exiting a plane during a mid-flight emergency, said his family is still trying to reckon with what led to the death of the 23-year-old.
Hew Crooks told WRAL that his son Charles Hew Crooks had spent years working toward his dream of becoming a pilot. That dream can no longer become a reality, with the patriarch saying his family is left wondering what led to his son's death.
Crooks said they can't process it now, admitting he does not know what happened. The body of Charles, who was co-piloting the flight, was found in a Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, backyard on Saturday, July 30, one day after the tragic incident.
Victim was not wearing a parachute when he fell to his death
An unidentified family told the media outlet that they were home when the incident occurred. They said they heard a loud thud in their backyard on Friday, July 29. Although they did not see anything at the time of the impact, police showed up and later found the pilot's body in the trees of their backyard.
According to Wake County emergency management spokesperson Darshan Patel in a statement on Friday, the victim was not wearing a parachute, and it is still unclear why he exited the plane. Officials said they believed Charles Hew Crooks either fell or jumped out of the plane.
He was onboard a twin-engine CASA CN-212 Aviocar with another pilot when it took off on Friday, according to NBC News. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the pilot onboard with the victim asked to make an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport after having an issue with the landing gear. The plane touched down around 2:40 p.m. The pilot sustained minor injuries. Officials said the pilot was released from a local hospital on Friday evening.
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Crooks' death leaves a hole in the family
The grieving dad said he couldn't imagine what happened to his son, adding that they would figure it out. As authorities tried to piece together what happened in the incident, Crooks remembered his beloved son as an avid aviator.
Hew Crooks said his son pursued his private pilot license while in college, getting that when he was a sophomore. The proud dad said his son told him a couple of weeks ago that he would not trade places with anybody in the world and that he loved where he was.
Crooks clarified in the interview that his son was certified to fly in any condition, and he had previously been a flight instructor. He added that the loss of his son had left an irreparable void in the family.
He said they are a strong and very loving family, but this death leaves a hole. They are waiting for investigators to determine what led up to his son's final moments, according to the Daily Mail.
