Pilot Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, is said to have jumped from a plane in Argentina while supervising a trainee who then had to land the aircraft on her own
A pilot instructor is said to have jumped to his death from an aircraft, leaving a trainee to land the plane.
Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, reportedly opened the door and jumped from the aircraft while in mid-air over Toledo, south of Córdoba in Argentina, with police now investigating.
The qualified commercial pilot was conducting a training flight with a 22-year-old woman when he jumped. The student was forced to take control, landing the Cessna C-150 light aircraft safely on her own.
According to the student, named Rosario, Leandro told her “you know what you have to do” and “keep going forward”.
The pilot, who worked for Flying Parrot Flight School in Córdoba, then removed his headphones, set aside his mobile phone, and unfastened his seatbelt.
Rosario said he then opened the cabin door – described as extremely difficult in flight due to air pressure – and jumped from an altitude of about 820 feet (250 metres).
The student immediately radioed for help, followed emergency procedures and landed the undamaged plane at the airfield without further incident.
School director Eduardo Álvarez, who received the alert from the student, said she was in shock but acted with “great level-headedness”. She initially thought her instructor might have deployed a parachute but soon realised he had not.
Alvarez and colleagues took off to search and located Leandro’s body in a field within 15 minutes. Emergency services confirmed his death at the scene.
The instructor had flown earlier that day with another student on a re-training flight with no issues. Colleagues described him as cheerful, professional and impeccably presented, with no visible signs of distress.
He had worked at the school for four years after a decade of training there and had previously flown in Chile.
Eduardo, who called Leandro a friend, told La Nacion: “He arrived, we greeted each other with a kiss and a hug as always. The only thing that stood out was that, instead of coming in his own car as usual, he had asked a student to pick him up at the house where he lived with his parents in a neighborhood in the city of Córdoba. They were chatting away, and everything seemed fine.”
He added that Leandro had been applying for a position with a major airline.
No colleagues had detected any warning signs during physical and mental health checks required every six months. The Federal Justice of Córdoba is investigating the incident, which has stunned the local aviation community.
Officials are examining all circumstances, although witness accounts point to a deliberate act.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
