Student pilot lands Cessna alone after instructor jumps to his death
A trainee pilot performed a perfect landing after her instructor, Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, opened the aircraft door and exited the plane in mid-flight.
On Saturday 4 July 2026 a 22‑year‑old trainee pilot found herself alone in the cockpit of a Cessna 150 after her instructor deliberately left the aircraft in mid‑flight over the town of Toledo, Argentina.
Sequence of events from the cockpit
The student, identified in Argentinian media as Rosario, told investigators that the instructor, 42‑year‑old Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, first removed his headset, unbuckled his seatbelt and placed his mobile phone on the console. She said he then opened the aircraft’s door – a manoeuvre described by several outlets as “very difficult to open” – and jumped out.
Media additions
You know what you have to do, carry on.
Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, instructor, via multiple reports
In another account, Rosario recalled the instructor later saying, “You know what to do, keep moving forward.” Both statements were reported by local media and quoted by the flight‑school director Eduardo Álvarez.
After the shocking exit, Rosario radioed for assistance, identified the area where she believed Bertazzo had fallen and kept the aircraft under control despite having limited flight hours. She then returned to the runway at Coronel Olmedo Airport, the training base of Flying Parrot Córdoba, and performed what officials described as a “perfect landing”.
She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of Flying Parrot Córdoba, via Yahoo News
Background on the instructor
Bertazzo, who described himself online as a former commercial pilot in Chile, had been employed by Flying Parrot Córdoba for four years. According to Álvarez, he had given a separate flight lesson to another student earlier on the same day and showed “no signs” of planning such an action.
Local reports also noted that Bertazzo had undergone neuropsychiatric treatment, a fact that, according to the outlets, was known only to close family members before the incident. The flight school, however, said it was unaware of any such treatment.
Official response and investigation
The public prosecutor’s office released a statement on Tuesday 8 July confirming that Bertazzo’s body was recovered in a field near Toledo about 20 minutes after the aircraft landed. The same statement said the Cessna 150 had been seized for forensic examination.
The Federal Justice of Córdoba opened a criminal inquiry, treating the case as a possible intentional act while also examining mechanical explanations. Investigators are scrutining the aircraft’s hatch and safety systems, the flight‑school’s documentation, and the radio transcript from the flight.
One line of inquiry focuses on whether a failure of the aircraft’s hatch or another safety mechanism could have facilitated the door’s opening at altitude. Another line looks at personal factors, including the previously reported neuropsychiatric treatment.
Media angles and differing details
Yahoo News highlighted the prosecutor’s custody of the aircraft and the student’s effort to show authorities the fall zone. Metro UK emphasized the student’s limited experience and her immediate “message informing about the situation” before landing.
The Daily Mail and the International Business Times echoed Álvarez’s description of Bertazzo as “always smiling” and “a beautiful person with a great smile,” noting the shock felt by colleagues. Both outlets reported that the instructor had completed a prior flight that day without incident.
Times Now News and the Jamaica Observer added that opening a plane door in flight is “extremely difficult, comparable to opening a car door at 200 kilometres per hour,” underscoring the physical improbability of an accidental opening.
IHeart Radio and Mirror Online repeated the student’s quoted directive and the director’s praise of her “clear, decisive, mature and professional” actions. Mirror also mentioned that Rosario was hospitalised for severe psychological trauma after the flight, though no physical injury was reported.
What comes next
Authorities have said the investigation remains open, with officials unable at this stage to explain why Bertazzo left the aircraft. The Federal Justice of Córdoba intends to continue reviewing the aircraft’s mechanical integrity, flight‑school records and all communications captured during the flight.
