Breaking News: A flight instructor tragically took his own life by jumping from a plane, leaving his student to land the aircraft alone.
A 42-year-old flight instructor, Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, died after jumping from a Cessna 150G aircraft over Córdoba, Argentina, on Saturday. His 22-year-old student pilot was forced to land the plane unaided following Bertazzo’s actions, according to reporting by Fox News. Bertazzo reportedly told the student, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before exiting the plane.
The incident occurred during a routine lesson at the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school. The director of the school, Eduardo Álvarez, described Bertazzo’s decision as “tragic” and “impossible to understand”. Álvarez noted the extraordinary difficulty of opening an aircraft door in flight, comparing it to opening a car door at 124 miles per hour. Remarkably, the student, named as Rosario, managed a safe landing despite being in “complete shock”. There was no damage to the aircraft. Álvarez revealed that Bertazzo had earlier flown with another student and had previously sought help at a psychiatric institute, a fact known only to his family.
According to Álvarez, Bertazzo’s family were unaware of any suicidal intentions. Prosecutors in Córdoba have launched an investigation into the death and the aircraft has been taken into police custody. The incident raises questions about mental health support within the aviation industry.
Authorities will now attempt to establish the circumstances that led to Bertazzo’s decision. The investigation will focus on understanding his recent state of mind and any potential contributing factors to this tragic event.
Sources: Fox News, CNN (via Argentinian affiliate TN)
