Flight instructor jumps to his death mid-lesson, leaving student to land plane alone in Argentina
Leandro Bertazzo, 42, opened the door of a Cessna C-150 at 250 metres and jumped, telling his 22-year-old student 'You know what to do.' She landed the aircraft unharmed.
The flight
A routine training session turned fatal on Saturday afternoon, 4 July 2026, when a flight instructor jumped from a Cessna C-150 over Toledo, in Argentina's Córdoba province. The aircraft had taken off from Coronel Olmedo airfield with Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, and a 22-year-old student identified as Rosario. She already held a pilot's licence but had few flight hours and was undergoing advanced instruction.
The jump
At about 250 metres above ground, Bertazzo removed his communication headset, placed his mobile phone aside, unbuckled his seatbelt, and forced open the side door against the air pressure. He then addressed the student.
You know what to do. Keep going.
He jumped. The student, alone at the controls, watched him fall. Eduardo Alvarez, director of the Flying Parrot flight school, later told Argentine daily Clarín that the door was difficult to open because of atmospheric pressure, but Bertazzo managed it with determination.
- Cessna C-150 departs Coronel Olmedo airfield with instructor Bertazzo and student Rosario.
- At 250 m altitude, Bertazzo opens the door and jumps after telling the student 'You know what to do.'
- Rosario calls ground personnel by phone, reporting the emergency.
- The student maintains control and lands the aircraft without incident.
- Bertazzo's body is located in a rural area near Toledo, Córdoba.
Emergency landing
Rosario alerted ground personnel by phone. She initially thought the instructor might have deployed a parachute, but quickly realised that was not the case.
She was in shock but showed great composure. She first thought her instructor might have deployed a parachute, but she quickly realised that wasn't the case.
Despite the trauma, she maintained control of the aircraft, communicated with the tower, and executed a safe landing. Aviation experts described the feat as exceptional for a pilot with so few hours.
Investigation
Bertazzo's body was found hours later in a rural area near Toledo. The school disclosed that he had recently consulted a psychiatrist, but had not informed his employer of any difficulties. Earlier that day he had given a refresher lesson to another pilot without incident. Argentine authorities have opened an investigation, led by the Federal Court of Córdoba. The school expressed incomprehension, saying nothing in his behaviour that morning had suggested a desperate act.
