Based on my understanding of the FAA’s Preliminary Report on this incident, Mr. Crooks, who was the Second In Command on the flight, seems to have deliberately jumped. This is IMO only, but I suspect he was likely feeling that he had utterly ruined his chances of being a professional pilot (and wasted all of the time and considerable money he would have invested in pursuing that career) due to the damage he did to the aircraft’s landing gear on his first failed attempt to land the plane. The Pilot In Command of the plane took control after this, at which time the co-pilot looked and acted visibly distressed (he threw up, poor guy) and apologized to the pioot in command before he left the cockpit (which seems to have been quite contrary to standard operating procedure).
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The second-in-command (SIC) was flying the approach to NR20 and was “on heading, altitude and airspeed” until the airplane descended below the tree line and “dropped.” …however, before the SIC could arrest the airplane’s sink rate and initiate a climb,
the right main landing gear (RMLG) impacted the runway surface. The PIC assumed the flight controls upon the airplane reaching 400 ft agl, then flew a low approach over NR20 to have airfield personnel verify damage. The personnel subsequently called the PIC to let him know that they recovered the fractured RMLG on the runway. The PIC directed the SIC to declare an emergency and request a diversion to RDU for landing.
While enroute to RDU, the crew coordinated with air traffic control, operations, and their customer, and planned their approach and landing at RDU, with the SIC responsible for communicating with air traffic control while the PIC flew the airplane. The PIC reported that there was moderate turbulence during the flight, and that about 20 minutes into the diversion to RDU, after conducting approach and emergency briefings,
the SIC became visibly upset about the hard landing... In his final transmission, the SIC acknowledged a course heading from air traffic control. The PIC described that about this time
the SIC opened his side cockpit window, and “may have gotten sick.” The PIC took over radio communications, and the SIC lowered the ramp in the back of the airplane, indicating that felt like he was going to be sick and needed air. The SIC then got up from his seat, removed his headset,
apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door.