During a training flight to Argentina, a dramatic event occurred. 42-year-old flight instructor Leandro Bertazzo jumped out of the Cessna C-150 aircraft during flight, leaving a 22-year-old student alone in the cockpit. The girl had to land on her own.
A tragedy occurred Saturday afternoon near Toledo, in the province of Córdoba. A student who had already had a pilot's license, but had relatively little experience, saw the instructor fall to the ground.
What exactly happened?
According to a report from the flight school director of Flying Parrot Córdoba, Eduardo Alvarez, before Bertazzo jumped, he was going to tell the students:
"You know what to do, keep moving forward."
He then took off his headphones, arranged his things (including his phone), unzipped his seat belt, opened the window (which in this model of aircraft is very difficult) and jumped out.
A 22-year-old girl kept her cool. She sent a message about the situation, and then safely landed a plane at Coronel Olmedo Airport, where they took off. The instructor's body was found about 20 minutes later in the field she indicated.
Who was the instructor?
Leandro Bertazzo was 42 years old and worked as an instructor at this flying school for four years. He had previously been a commercial pilot in Chile. The school principal described him as always a smiling and liked employee. However, it is known that he was receiving neuropsychiatric treatment, as only his family knew.
School response and investigation
The school principal admitted that the incident is extremely difficult to understand:
"He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with a person at his side. It cannot be understood, but the human mind is so complex and treacherous."
The investigation is ongoing, including aircraft documentation, communication and the mental state of the instructor.
The student, despite the great shock, was described as "very mature and professional" – she managed to land the machine safely without any help.
