08/07/2026
A 42 year old flight instructor in Argentina died after jumping from a training aircraft during a lesson, leaving his 22 year old student to land the plane on her own.
The incident happened on Saturday over Toledo in Córdoba Province. According to reports confirmed by CNN and Argentine authorities, the instructor unbuckled his seat belt, removed his headset, collected his belongings, opened the cabin door, and prepared to leave the aircraft.
Before jumping, he reportedly turned to the student and told her, "You know what you have to do. Carry on."
Despite having only limited flying experience, the student immediately contacted the flight school, took control of the Cessna 150, returned to Coronel Olmedo Airport, and landed the aircraft safely without any damage. The flight school's director said she managed the emergency while in complete shock.
The instructor, identified as Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, was an experienced pilot who had previously worked as a flight instructor in Chile before joining the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school about four years ago. Colleagues said he had completed another training flight earlier that day and had shown no signs that anything was wrong.
The school's director, Eduardo Álvarez, described Bertazzo as a kind person with a great smile and said no one expected such a tragedy. He also explained that opening the door of a small aircraft while in flight is extremely difficult because of the force of the air.
Authorities later recovered Bertazzo's body from a nearby field. His father reportedly said he had been struggling in recent months and was receiving psychiatric treatment.
Prosecutors in Córdoba are investigating the death as an apparent su***de.
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