Flight instructor reportedly jumps to death during lesson; student forced to land plane

A fatal incident during a flight lesson in Argentina reportedly involved a flight instructor jumping to his death, leaving a student pilot to land the aircraft. The report, citing a CNN affiliate (TN), says 42-year-old Leandro Andrés Bertazzo was on board a Cessna 150 with a 22-year-old student when he told her, “You know what you have to do; carry on,” then removed his headset and seatbelt before opening the door and jumping. Bertazzo was found dead, according to Argentina’s public prosecutor, with the incident occurring during a lesson. The student was able to land the plane safely but was in shock afterward, according to Eduardo Álvarez, director of Flying Parrot Córdoba, the school where Bertazzo worked. Álvarez said there were no signs the instructor planned to jump and that he had taught another student earlier that day. Prosecutors are investigating the details that led to his death.