The guy that jumped or fell was a commercial pilot and CFI, or at least had the credentials. Barring an intentional act by the flying pilot, the guy committed suicide, whether it was suicide through stupidity or suicide through intention. Surely a commercial pilot would have spent enough time in an airplane to know that you need to have a harness on if you're going to expose yourself to a situation where you could depart the airplane if you encountered any kind of turbulence or unexpected anything. It's one of those situations where the risk of something going wrong exists and the consequences are extremely dire if something does. Appropriate precautions should have been taken. The fact of the matter is that if the guy that fell/jumped had survived, this would go firmly into the "stupid pilot tricks" bag, and no one would have argued. Just because the guy died doesn't mean he should be or is exempt from criticism.
It had to have been an intentional act by the copilot to depart the aircraft. However, the part of this that makes the least sense is the reporting that the deceased jumped toward a lake and that the original search efforts were directed there. The original lake in question is about a mile and a half further along the flight path than where the copilot was found and it’s barely 800’ long, more of a small pond, really. I don’t think you could hit that from 2000+ AGL if you tried 50 times.
The reporting on whatever cockpit communication occurred has been abysmal, but the intent of the copilot to jump into a lake
has been reported, presumably by the pilot.
That’s the part that’s bothering me most - there was seemingly some sort of conversation about this. If this is the case, an intentional departure, the guy who jumped was distraught either way - like you said, intentional or negligent suicide.
The lake-escape story would have to be along the lines of: “we’re going to crash and burn, I’m out,” unclips harness “what are you doing?” “I’m going to go jump in that lake.” Okay, there would
have to be a whole lot more to
that discussion. A plane that is still fully capable of controlled flight could ostensibly get real low and slow over Lake Wheeler, only 3 or 4 miles further along (or close to) the flight path before the guy bailed. Why jump where he did? The outcome may have been the same, but at least a person could hit the target.
But the lake-suicide story only holds water if the guy stated something like “I can’t believe I screwed up so badly, my career is over,” unclips harness, “what are you doing?” “I’m going to go jump in that lake.”
“
What lake?”
Or did the pilot just presume he was aiming for that tiny little pond? That’s one heck of a presumption.
Either scenario paints the picture of a very (perhaps temporarily) emotionally unstable person. But why the lake bit? Why not just silently unclip, run to the back, drop the ramp and depart? Trying to hit
that lake? How in the world could have that been presumed without specific communication?
At this point, I don’t think it’s possible he just fell out while inspecting the gear. If it the lake thing hadn’t been reported, maybe it would be plausible, but that one little detail speaks to an intent to depart the aircraft toward a specific, but entirely improbable little spot.
Of course, the whole lake bit simply could just be an artifact of absolutely awful reporting - but that’s where they initially searched. What the heck? Just awful. Way too many questions to just let it sit until the final NTSB report comes out in a few years.
