Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, died in Toledo, central Argentina, on Saturday, July 4, according to a statement from the country’s public prosecutor’s office released on Tuesday, July 7.
Bertazzo was an instructor at the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school. He was flying a Cessna 150 aircraft with a student identified only by her first name, Rosario, when the incident occurred. The aircraft was around 850 feet above the ground at the time, according to Argentine outlet Del Sur Diario.
Citing Rosario’s account, Argentine news outlet Todo Noticias (TN) reported that Bertazzo told her, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before removing his headset, unbuckling his seatbelt, opening the aircraft door and jumping out.
The local outlet La Nación reported that he also put his phone away before jumping.
Rosario retained control of the Cessna and landed it safely. The aircraft was not damaged, according to the flying school’s director, Eduardo Álvarez.
After landing, Rosario alerted authorities and told them where she had seen Bertazzo fall, according to Del Sur Diario. Search teams located his body in that area, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Álvarez told TN there had been no indication that Bertazzo intended to jump from the plane. He noted that Bertazzo had flown with a different student earlier the same day.
“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.”
Álvarez also said Bertazzo was an experienced instructor who had previously worked in Chile, and that the school was surprised by the incident. He said Rosario was in “complete shock” while landing the plane.
Álvarez explained that opening a plane’s door mid-flight is difficult, comparing it to opening a car door while travelling at 200 kilometres per hour (124 miles per hour).
Argentina’s public prosecutor’s office said it is investigating the exact circumstances that led to Bertazzo’s death.
