Flight school pilot jumps to his death midair, leaving student to land plane

A plane is seen in an undated image. (Pexels.com / David Kwewum)

Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide

A pilot jumped out of the door of a moving plane to his death, leaving the student he was teaching to fly to land the aircraft by herself.

Flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, was found dead following the incident, which took place in Toledo, central Argentina, on Saturday, according to a statement from the country’s public prosecutor, published Tuesday.

Bertazzo was on board the Cessna 150 aircraft with a 22-year-old student named Rosario, CNN affiliate TN reported.

The student said Bertazzo told her, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before taking off his headset and seatbelt, opening the door and jumping out of the plane, TN reported.

Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school where Bertazzo worked, told TN that there were no signs that the pilot was planning to throw himself from the plane.

Bertazzo had gone on a flight with another student earlier that day, Álvarez said.

“He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side,” he said. “It’s impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex.”

Bertazzo was “a beautiful person with a great smile,” said Álvarez. “We are surprised that this has happened.”

Opening the door of a plane in mid-air is extremely difficult, explained Álvarez, who compared it to trying to open the door of a car traveling at 200 kilometres an hour (124 miles per hour).

Rosario, the student, managed to land the plane safely despite being in “complete shock,” he added. The plane was undamaged, Álvarez said.

Bertazzo was highly experienced and had also worked as a flight instructor in neighboring Chile, TN reported.

Prosecutors will now investigate the exact details of the incident that led to Bertazzo’s death.

By Jack Guy, CNN

If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available in Canada:

Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit 988.ca)

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338)

Kids Help Phone [phone])

If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.