What started as a regular class at the Flying Parrot flight school in Córdoba (Argentina) turned into a tragedy. Flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo may have decided to take his own life in mid-flight after handing over control of the aircraft to his student Rosario, who was forced to take control and land the plane on her own.
According to police sources, Bertazzo removed his headphones, unfastened his seatbelt, opened the door, and jumped out of the plane from about 250 meters high. Just before doing so, and amidst the flight instructions, he turned to his student and said, "You know what you have to do". Although the young woman managed to land the aircraft safely, she entered a state of absolute shock after the traumatic experience.
The instructor had flown with another student earlier that day, which supports the hypothesis that it was not a premeditated act. Eduardo Álvarez, director of Flying Parrot school, stated that there were no indications suggesting that the pilot had intentions of committing suicide.
As reported by the newspaper La Nación, Álvarez himself recounted that he went to pick up the instructor with other colleagues and that, after 20 minutes of searching, they found his body in a rural area in the town of Toledo. "He arrived joyfully, kissing everyone as always", the director lamented when recalling how Bertazzo started his workday.
The company stated that they were unaware if the instructor was facing any difficulties, as he behaved normally that day. However, after informing the father of the news of his son's death, he revealed that the young man was going through personal problems. "The father confirmed to me that his son was under psychiatric treatment. I think he was very disturbed mentally and said: 'Well, this is the moment'", detailed those close to him.
The pilot, who was single and had no children, has left deep sorrow among his family and aviation colleagues. The investigation of the incident was taken over by the Federal Justice of Córdoba, which will try to determine the exact circumstances of the event.