Co-Pilot Appeared 'Visibly Upset' and 'May Have Gotten Sick' Before Exiting Plane Mid-Flight, Report Says

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board is offering new insight into the final moments of a North Carolina co-pilot whoexited his plane mid-airlast month.

About 20 minutes after the “hard landing,” the commanding pilot reported that Crooks “became visibly upset,” according to the report.

Upon exiting his seat, Crooks “removed his headset, apologized, and departed the airplane” through the opening, according to the report.

The commanding pilot told investigators that “there was a bar one could grab about 6 ft above the ramp,” but that he did not witness Crooks grabbing it, the report states.

Afterwards, the pilot informed air traffic control that Crooks “had departed the airplane without a parachute,” and searched for him before making an emergency landing.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Federal officials wrote in the report that an examination of the airplane “revealed substantial damage to the RMLG, landing gear fittings, and the airframe structure where the fittings attach.”

The plane was retained for additional examination.

The commanding pilot, who has not been identified, was treated and released from a local hospital, NBC affiliateWRALpreviously reported.

Hew Crooks, the co-pilot’s father, previously toldWRALthat his son began pursuing his private pilot license in college and had been working as a flight instructor for over a year.

“He said a couple weeks ago, he wouldn’t trade places with anybody in the world. He loved where he was,” he told the outlet. “I can’t imagine what happened.”

source: people.com