A practical piloting lesson ended in tragedy and stunned the aviation world. A 22-year-old student had to take control of a plane alone after the instructor opened the aircraft door and jumped mid-flight, in Argentina this Monday, 6th.
The aircraft involved was a Cessna C-150, registration LV-CGN, used in flight training. According to information released by the international press, instructor Leandro Bertazzo, 42 years old, unbuckled his seat belt, opened the plane door and jumped out of the aircraft while it was still in the air.
The student, who preferred not to have her identity disclosed, reported the tense moments she experienced during the flight.
"He took off his headphones, organized his belongings, including his cell phone, took off his seat belt, opened the door, which is very difficult to open, and jumped out," he said, according to British newspaper The Sun.
After witnessing the scene, the young woman remained calm, immediately reported the incident to the authorities and took control of the plane alone. Despite her lack of experience, she managed to return to the airfield and land safely, preventing the tragedy from having even greater consequences.
School director praises student's attitude
Eduardo Alvarez, director of Flying Parrot Córdoba, the aviation school where Bertazzo worked, stated that the student demonstrated preparation and calmness in the face of an extreme situation.
"She was very shaken, but, with total professionalism, she piloted the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing," he said.
According to Alvarez, the young woman acted in a "very clear, decisive, mature and professional way", even when facing a traumatic episode.
After the jump, teams began searching the region. Leandro Bertazzo's body was located in a field close to the incident site. According to information released by the press, Bertazzo was a former commercial pilot in Chile and worked as a flight instructor at the Argentine school.
The director of Flying Parrot Córdoba stated that the professional was known for his good relationships with colleagues and students.
"He was always smiling," Alvarez said, adding that no one imagined a tragedy like this could happen.
Argentine authorities are investigating the case to clarify all the circumstances of what happened.