A 22-year-old student pilot was forced to land a light plane alone after her instructor reportedly jumped out during a training session in Argentina.
Flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, died on Saturday during the flight near Toledo in central Argentina.
The student said the incident occurred at an altitude of roughly 250 metres.
In an interview with local media outlet Todo Noticias she recalled her instructor’s final words being: “You know what you have to do, carry on.”
He then reportedly managed to open the cabin door against heavy air pressure and jumped off the aircraft mid-flight.
Fortunately, despite the shock the student managed to maintain control, alert the flight school and land the plane safely at Coronel Olmedo Airport.
The student, who reportedly held a private pilot licence had limited flying hours and was left alone in the cockpit for hours.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school praised the student for her quick thinking and calm composure.
“She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing,” he told local media.
According to the director, Bertazzo showed no warning signs prior to his death. He had completed another training flight earlier that day, with colleagues saying they didn’t notice anything unusual about his behaviour.
“He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side,” Álvarez said.
“It’s impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex.”
After landing their aircraft, the young woman helped authorities identify the area where the flight instructor fell, with emergency services locating his body within 20 minutes. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Argentina’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed an investigation is underway, with the aircraft placed in police custody.
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