Flight Student Manages To Land Plane Solo After Instructor Jumps To His Death

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Flight Student Manages To Land Plane Solo After Instructor Jumps To His Death

HuffPost · 1 month ago

A 22-year-old student pilot known only as Rosario was forced to make a solo emergency landing on Saturday after her flight instructor jumped from their aircraft mid-flight over Argentina. The instructor, 42-year-old Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, reportedly told her "You know what you have to do, carry on" before removing his headset, opening the door and leaping out; his body was later found in the town of Toledo. The case has drawn attention both for the instructor's apparent suicide and for the student's ability to bring the plane down safely despite being, according to witnesses, in complete shock.

The pair were flying a Cessna 150 at roughly 850 feet above the ground when the incident occurred, according to Argentinian outlet Del Sur Diario. Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school, said there had been no signs that Bertazzo intended to jump, noting he had given a lesson to another student earlier that day. After landing, Rosario contacted the authorities and tried to show them where she believed Bertazzo had fallen. Prosecutors, who released a statement on Tuesday, said they are working to clarify the circumstances and have taken custody of the aircraft.

  • Student pilot landed a Cessna 150 alone after her instructor jumped out mid-flight.
  • Instructor Leandro Bertazzo, 42, was found dead in Toledo, Argentina.
  • Prosecutors are investigating and have impounded the aircraft.

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