Flight Instructor Jumps From Plane During Lesson, Student Lands Safely

Flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo jumped from a Cessna 150G aircraft to his death during a lesson on July 4, 2026, over Toledo in central Argentina. The 42-year-old told his 22-year-old student Rosario, “You know what you have to do, carry on,” before unbuckling his seatbelt, removing his headset, opening the door and jumping.

Rosario, who holds a private pilot’s license, contacted the Flying Parrot flight school in Córdoba.

School officials guided her through emergency procedures, and she landed the plane safely at the airfield. Eduardo Álvarez, the school director, described her as “very clear, decisive, mature, and professional” and said she “piloted the plane to the airfield and landed perfectly” despite being shaken.

Álvarez spotted Bertazzo’s body during a search flight about 15 minutes after the jump and reported the location.

Bertazzo was pronounced dead at the scene in a rural field in Córdoba province, the New York Post reported. The training plane remained undamaged, including the door. Prosecutors opened an investigation into Bertazzo’s death after seizing the aircraft, the Attorney General Carlos Gonella’s office said.

Bertazzo had checked himself into a neuropsychiatric institute for mental health treatment, a step known only to his close relatives, Álvarez said. No one at the school noticed anything unusual about Bertazzo beforehand, even though he had flown with another student earlier the same day.

Bertazzo held an Airline Transport Pilot license, a first-class commercial pilot license and a flight instructor license.

He had also worked briefly as an instructor in neighboring Chile. Álvarez noted that opening an aircraft door in flight is difficult, comparable to opening a car door at roughly 125 mph.