A flight instructor in Argentina forced his student to land a plane on her own after reportedly jumping out of the aircraft to his death.
According to a statement from the country’s public prosecutor’s office, the incident occurred over the small town of Toledo in central Argentina on July 4 when Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, abandoned his 22-year-old student, Rosario, while aboard a Cessna 150G.
Rosario claimed Bertazzo told her, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before removing his headset, unfastening his seatbelt, opening the door and jumping out of the plane, as reported by CNN affiliate TN.
Del Sur Diario reported Rosario was able to safely land the aircraft without damaging the plane or suffering any injuries. After a successful landing, the student contacted authorities and informed them of the area where Bertazzo might be located. His body was eventually found, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school where Bertazzo worked, told TN that there were no indications of him planning to take his life by exiting an aircraft.
Álvarez told TN that opening the door of an aircraft in the middle of a flight is extremely difficult, comparing it to someone trying to open a car door traveling 124 miles per hour.
“He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side,” Álvarez said. “It’s impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex.”
“We are surprised that this has happened,” he added.
