Argentina flight instructor jumps to his death, student lands plane alone
A 42-year-old flight instructor in Argentina jumped from a Cessna 150 during a training flight, leaving his 22-year-old student to land the aircraft alone. The instructor was found dead; the student landed safely.
The incident
On Saturday, a training flight over Toledo in central Argentina turned fatal when the instructor, Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, opened the door of the Cessna 150 and jumped out. His 22-year-old student, identified only as Rosario, was left alone in the cockpit. She managed to maintain control and land the aircraft without damage, despite being in a state of shock. Bertazzo's body was found 20 minutes later in a field she had indicated as his likely landing spot.
- Bertazzo completes a training flight with another student without incident.
- Bertazzo tells Rosario 'You know what to do, continue,' removes headset and seatbelt, opens door, and jumps.
- Bertazzo's body is found in a field 20 minutes later, indicated by the student.
- Rosario lands the Cessna 150 safely; the aircraft is undamaged.
The instructor's final words
Before jumping, Bertazzo removed his headset and seatbelt and told the student, according to her account reported by Argentine outlet TN:
He then opened the door and fell. The prosecutor's office confirmed the sequence in a statement released Tuesday.You know what to do, continue.
Flight school reaction
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school where Bertazzo worked, said there had been no indication the instructor planned such an act. Bertazzo had flown with another student earlier that day without incident.
Álvarez described Bertazzo as "a wonderful person with a great smile" and said the school was surprised. He also noted that opening an aircraft door in flight is extremely difficult, comparing it to opening a car door at 200 km/h (124 mph).He made this tragic decision in flight, with another person at his side. It's impossible to think about or understand, but the human mind is so complex.
Investigation
Prosecutors have opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the death. Bertazzo was an experienced pilot who had previously worked as a flight instructor in neighboring Chile.
