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An Argentine flight instructor who held an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) license issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jumped out of an aircraft in mid-flight during a practical lesson, leaving his student alone at the controls, about 250 meters high.
The 22-year-old woman was able to land safely and alert the authorities.
The pilot's body was found deceased in a rural area, about 20 minutes later in the Argentine province of Córdoba.
The moment of the jump
Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42 years old, was an instructor at the aviation school Flying Parrot when, last Saturday, during a training session aboard a Cessna 150 two-seater, he made a decision that has shocked the aviation world.
Without prior notice, he turned to his student -identified to the press merely as "Rosario"- and said: “You know what you have to do, keep moving forward.”
Next, he removed his headphones, adjusted his cell phone, unfastened his seatbelt, opened the side door of the aircraft, and jumped into the void.
The incident occurred at the Coronel Olmedo airfield, south of the city of Córdoba, and Bertazzo's body was found in a rural area near the town of Toledo.
The Argentine prosecutor's office confirmed his death immediately upon impact with the ground.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot school, recounted the final moments in statements to the Córdoba media La Voz del Interior. the situation and proceeded to go to the runway to land.”
Rosario, who already had a private pilot's license although she still needed flight hours to complete her training, managed to control the aircraft despite the state of turmoil.
At first, as Álvarez revealed in an interview with the TN channel, the young woman thought it was a joke and that her instructor had jumped out of a plane with a parachute.
A day without warning signs
Nothing in Bertazzo's behavior during that day hinted at the outcome.
According to Álvarez's account to the newspaper La Nación:
"That day, we saw Leandro just like any other day. He arrived cheerfully, greeting everyone with kisses as always. The only thing that stood out was that, instead of coming in his car as usual, he had asked a student to pick him up from home, where he lived with his parents."
Before taking off with Rosario, Bertazzo had already completed a retraining flight with another colleague, which reinforces the hypothesis that the act was not planned.
His psychophysical exams were in order, and the pilot was in good spirits because he was in the process of applying for a position at a major airline.
"Nothing like this has ever happened before, there are no precedents," Álvarez stated. "What occurred defies logic," he added.
And about the last moments before the jump: “It's impossible to imagine what was going through Leandro's mind at that moment. He said 'Now' and jumped.”
Personal problems that no one saw coming
After Bertazzo's death, his family provided information that the workplace was unaware of.
“The father confirmed to me that his son was undergoing psychiatric treatment. I think he was very mentally disturbed and said, 'Well, this is the moment',” Álvarez stated to El Mundo.
Argentine media reported that the pilot, unmarried and without children, was going through a "tough time" in his personal life.
Álvarez described him as "an excellent professional" who was "always cheerful"; and added: "He made this tragic decision aboard an airplane, with another person by his side. It's impossible to think about or understand, but the human mind is very complex."
Bertazzo had nearly a decade of experience in aviation. He spent four years as an instructor at Flying Parrot and had also worked in Chile.
According to his social media, he held the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, the highest certification for commercial pilots.
An unprecedented case in aviation
Álvarez emphasized what sets this case apart from other similar incidents:
"In general, when a suicide occurs on a flight, the pilot typically carries it out with the plane, not in this manner. It's not like other cases. This is as if someone had jumped from a building."
The incident recalled the tragedy of the Germanwings flight 9525, which occurred on March 24, 2015, when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed an Airbus A320 into the French Alps, resulting in the deaths of 150 people.
The difference in this case is substantial: Bertazzo did not attempt to take the plane with him.
The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Court of Córdoba. Álvarez confirmed that Rosario is still in the process of recovering from the intense emotional impact caused by the incident.
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