(Photo credit: mrs)
Roomies, a routine flight lesson took a heartbreaking and unexpected turn after a moment in the sky left many searching for answers. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of pilot Leandro Andrs Bertazzo, whose final moments aboard a training flight have drawn widespread attention.
According to officials, the 42-year-old flight instructor was aboard a Cessna 150 aircraft in Toledo, central Argentina, on Saturday with a 22-year-old student pilot named Rosario when the incident occurred. The student told investigators that Bertazzo instructed her to continue flying, then removed his headset and seatbelt, opened the aircraft door, and exited the plane mid-flight.
Despite the unimaginable circumstances, Rosario safely landed the aircraft while reportedly in a state of complete shock. The plane landed without damage, and officials said the students ability to remain focused during the emergency helped prevent further tragedy. Prosecutors are continuing to examine what led up to the incident.
Eduardo Alvarez, the director of the Flying Parrot Crdoba flight school where Bertazzo worked, shared insight into the tragic incident with CNN affiliate TN. “He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side,” he revealed. “Its impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex.” Bertazzo was “a beautiful person with a great smile,” says Alvarez. “We are surprised that this has happened.”
