Instructor jumps from plane in midair; student lands safely alone

A routine training flight in Córdoba, Argentina, turned deadly when flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, jumped from a Cessna 150 while his student, 22-year-old Rosario, was at the controls. She landed the aircraft alone and unharmed. His body was later found in a rural area near Toledo.

The incident

According to the student's account, Bertazzo instructed her to maintain the flight path, then removed his headset, secured his belongings, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and leaped out Source: TN via CNN. His last words were "Ya sabés lo que tenés que hacer, seguí adelante" ("You know what to do, keep going") Source: Clarín. The student immediately contacted the control tower and landed the Cessna 150 safely despite being in shock Source: infobae.

Aftermath and investigation

The director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba school, Eduardo Álvarez, expressed shock, stating that Bertazzo had flown with another student earlier that day without incident and that there were no warning signs Source: ABC España. However, after his death, the family revealed that Bertazzo had been undergoing psychiatric treatment and had recently attended a consultation at a psychiatric hospital Source: El Mundo. The Federal Justice of Córdoba is investigating the case, which has sparked discussions about mental health in aviation Source: La Vanguardia. The student initially thought it was a prank and believed he might be wearing a parachute Source: La Voz.