A routine flight lesson in Argentina ended in tragedy after a flight instructor reportedly jumped from a moving aircraft, leaving his student to fly and land the plane on her own.
Bertazzo was conducting the lesson with his 22-year-old student, Rosario, when he allegedly told her, "You know what you have to do, carry on," before removing his headset, unfastening his seatbelt, opening the aircraft door and jumping from the plane.
Despite being in complete shock, Rosario remained composed, contacted air traffic control and successfully landed the aircraft without damage or injury.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school where Bertazzo worked, said there were no indications the experienced instructor intended to take his own life.
"He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side. It's impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex," Álvarez said.
Describing Bertazzo as "a beautiful person with a great smile," Álvarez said the incident came as a complete shock to everyone who knew him.
He also noted that opening the door of an aircraft in flight is extremely difficult due to the force of the airflow, comparing it to trying to open the door of a car travelling at 200 km/h.
Bertazzo, who had also worked as a flight instructor in Chile, had reportedly completed another training flight earlier that day before the fatal incident.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
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