In Toledo, located in Argentina’s central region, a senior pilot committed suicide by opening the door of a moving training aircraft and jumping out while in flight. This left a 22-year-old inexperienced female student on board in a perilous situation. Officials told TN that the 42-year-old experienced flight instructor, Leandro Andrés Bartazzo, suddenly removed his headset and seatbelt while teaching the student—identified as Rosario—to fly a Cessna 150. He told her, “You know what to do now; keep flying,” before opening the door and leaping into the air.
CNN Online reported the incident. Eduardo Alvarez, director of the “Flying Parrot Córdoba” flight school, expressed deep sorrow, describing Bartazzo as a highly skilled, cheerful, and wonderful person. He noted that Bartazzo had successfully conducted a flight with another student shortly before the incident, so no one had suspected he was harboring suicidal thoughts.
Alvarez further remarked that opening the aircraft door mid-air was an extremely difficult feat—akin to opening the door of a car traveling at 200 kilometers per hour—yet Bartazzo managed to do it. Despite facing this terrifying situation and suffering severe mental shock, the 22-year-old student, Rosario, displayed incredible courage and successfully landed the plane safely without any mishaps. Authorities have now launched a detailed investigation to uncover the true reason behind Bartazzo’s mysterious suicide.
