Student pilot lands plane alone after flight instructor jumps to his death mid-flight

 

TOLEDO, Córdoba Province — A flight instructor died after jumping from a small plane in mid-air during a training flight in central Argentina, according to CNN, leaving a student pilot on-board to land the plane alone.

Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, was found dead following the incident, which occurred in Toledo on Saturday, CNN reported, citing a statement from the country's public prosecutor.

Bertazzo was flying a Cessna 150 with a 22-year-old student named Rosario when he unbuckled his seatbelt, removed his headset, opened the plane's door and jumped, according to CNN, which cited its Argentine affiliate TN. Before jumping, Bertazzo told his student, "You know what you have to do, carry on," TN reported.

Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school where Bertazzo worked, told TN there had been no indication that the instructor was planning to jump from the aircraft, CNN reported.

Bertazzo had flown with a different student earlier that same day, Álvarez said, according to CNN. Álvarez described the loss as bewildering, saying Bertazzo made the decision while another person was on board with him and that human behavior can be difficult to fully understand.

Álvarez remembered Bertazzo as warm and well-liked, telling TN he had "a great smile," CNN reported, and that colleagues at the school were stunned by his death.

Opening a plane door in flight is a physically demanding task, Álvarez told TN, comparing the force required to trying to open a car door while traveling 124 mph.

Despite the shock of the moment, Rosario was able to safely land the plane on her own, Álvarez said, according to CNN. The aircraft sustained no damage in the landing, he added.

Bertazzo was an experienced flight instructor who had also taught in neighboring Chile. Argentine prosecutors are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, according to CNN.

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