Flight instructor jumps mid-air after telling student, "You know what to do"; she lands plane safely

A flight instructor died after jumping from a moving aircraft during a training flight in central Argentina, leaving his student to land the plane on her own, according to CNN affiliate TN.

Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, was found dead after the incident, which took place in Toledo on Saturday. The prosecutor's office released a statement on Tuesday confirming the incident, as reported by CNN.

Student lands aircraft after instructor's final words

Bertazzo was flying a Cessna 150 with his 22-year-old student, Rosario, during the training session, according to CNN affiliate TN.


The student told investigators that Bertazzo said, "You know what you have to do, carry on," before removing his headset and seatbelt, opening the aircraft door and jumping out.

Despite the unexpected situation, the student successfully landed the aircraft by herself.

Reports point to personal struggles as investigation continues

TOI, citing Argentine media reports that quoted Bertazzo's father, reported that the flight instructor had recently been experiencing personal difficulties and had sought psychiatric treatment. However, investigators have not established any connection between those reported issues and the incident, and authorities have not released any official medical details.

The investigation is ongoing, and officials are expected to examine all available evidence before reaching any final conclusions.

Flying school says there were no warning signs

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

Álvarez also said opening the door of an aircraft while it is in flight is extremely difficult, comparing it to attempting to open the door of a car travelling at 200 kilometres per hour.

Experienced instructor had worked in Argentina and Chile

According to TN, Bertazzo was an experienced pilot and had also served as a flight instructor in neighbouring Chile.

Germanwings crash in 2015

The incident has drawn comparisons with the Germanwings Flight 9525 disaster on March 24, 2015, when the aircraft's first officer deliberately crashed an Airbus A320 into the Swiss Alps.

All 150 people on board, including 144 passengers and six crew members, were killed in the crash, and there were no survivors.

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