In an alarming incident over Argentina, a flight instructor tragically died after jumping out of a small aircraft, leaving his student to land the plane solo.
The event unfolded on a Saturday flight, as 42-year-old Leandro Andrés Bertazzo was aboard a two-seat Cessna 150G. According to CNN, drawing from its Argentinian partner TN, Bertazzo suddenly decided to jump mid-flight over the province of Córdoba.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school where Bertazzo was employed, expressed his shock to TN: “This tragic choice was made with another individual right there in the aircraft. It’s an unimaginable situation, showcasing the complexities of the human mind.”
An undated photo of Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, the 42-year-old pilot who leapt from the plane to his death on July 4 in Argentina. (Instagram/Leandro Bertazzo)
Rosario, the 22-year-old student pilot, recounted to officials that Bertazzo instructed her with the words, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before he removed his equipment, opened the aircraft door, and took the fatal leap, as Álvarez reported.
Opening the door of a plane midair is incredibly difficult. Álvarez said it would be akin to trying to open the door of a car traveling 124 miles per hour.
Cessna 150m FRA150M climbing out after take-off with flaps deployed and hills behind. (aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Álvarez said that Rosario managed to land the plane safely, despite being in “complete shock.” There was no damage to the plane, according to TN.
Álvarez noted that Bertazzo had gone on a flight with another student earlier in the day.
A view from the main road of the flight school Bertazzo worked at, Flying Parrot Córdoba. (Google Maps)
Álvarez also told TN that Bertazzo had visited a psychiatric institute, something that was only known by his family prior to his death.
Prosecutors in Córdoba will lead the investigation into Bertazzo’s death. The plane he jumped from is now in police custody.