Plane is landed by student in Argentina after instructor jumps mid-flight, reveals aviation school
An aircraft instructor jumped from a plane during a flight in Argentina, leaving a young 22-year-old student alone in the cabin. After the unexpected event, the student contacted the team on the ground and demonstrated remarkable skill by managing to make a safe landing.
The body of the instructor, identified as Leandro Bertazzo, aged 42, was later discovered in a rural area located in the city of Toledo, province of Córdoba.
Moments before jumping, Bertazzo reportedly told the student: “You know what you have to do, go ahead”, according to the aviation school director’s report to the press.
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Eduardo Alvarez, from the Flying Parrot Córdoba school, detailed that, right after the sentence, Leandro Bertazzo removed his headphones, put his cell phone away and opened the door, a considerably challenging action due to the strong air pressure at altitude.
According to information from Alvarez, the instructor and the student were aboard a small Cessna C-150, flying at approximately 250 meters of altitude, last Saturday.
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Details about pilot Leandro Bertazzo and the flight in Argentina
Even deeply shaken by the incident, the student, whose name was not disclosed, acted promptly by contacting the ground team to receive guidance and carry out the landing, which occurred without incident. It is important to highlight that, despite already having her pilot’s license (breve), she still only had a few hours of flying time and was in a training session, which demonstrates impressive resilience and technical capacity in the face of such an extreme emergency situation.
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Information obtained indicates that the pilot had previously sought psychiatric help, however, he had not properly communicated this fact to the aviation school.
Álvarez also informed the Argentine press that, on the day of the incident, the instructor’s behavior did not generate any type of distrust among his colleagues. The only unusual behavior was that he asked a colleague for a ride to Coronel Olmedo airport, being picked up at his home, where he lived with his parents, unlike his habit of using his own car for work.
Before the flight in which he jumped from the aircraft, Leandro Bertazzo had completed another instruction session on the same day.
Despite working as an instructor, Bertazzo built his main career as a commercial pilot.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Federal Court of Córdoba, which seeks to clarify all the facts.
