A flight instructor in Argentina died on July 4 after jumping from a Cessna C-150 aircraft while teaching a 22-year-old student pilot. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Coronel Olmedo Airport near Córdoba.
The instructor, identified as Leandro Bertazzo, 42, reportedly told the student, "You know what to do, keep moving forward" before leaping from the aircraft. His body was found approximately 20 minutes later in a field. The student, though shaken, managed to safely return the plane to the airfield and alert authorities.
Eduardo Alvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school where Bertazzo had worked for four years, stated that Bertazzo's father indicated his son had been experiencing a "difficult time." The family also revealed that Bertazzo had attended a psychiatric hospital consultation the week prior to his death. Despite these personal struggles, Alvarez described Bertazzo as an "excellent professional, always cheerful, and greatly admired by all his students."
Investigators are examining the circumstances of the fall. According to Alvarez, Bertazzo removed his headphones, arranged his belongings, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the aircraft door, and jumped. The student pilot, following Bertazzo's instructions, successfully landed the aircraft, demonstrating a "very high level of training and professionalism."
Officials have stated that the unusual nature of the event makes it difficult to provide an immediate explanation. One line of inquiry includes the possibility of a mechanical failure related to a hatch or safety system. Authorities are reviewing the aircraft's and flight school's documentation, as well as communications from the time of the incident.
Bertazzo, who described himself online as a former commercial pilot in Chile, was single, had no children, and lived with his parents in Córdoba, according to Argentinian outlet Para Ti.