A student pilot in Argentina safely landed a training aircraft on her own after her instructor jumped from the plane during a lesson, in an incident that has shocked the country’s aviation community and prompted an ongoing investigation.
The incident took place on 4 July near Toledo, in the province of Córdoba, during a routine training flight operated by the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school. Prosecutors disclosed further details this week as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
According to investigators, 42-year-old flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo and his 22-year-old student had taken off in a Cessna 150 for what was expected to be a standard training session. The student, identified only as Rosario, had already obtained her pilot’s licence but was still accumulating the flight hours required to qualify further.
Shortly after take-off, Bertazzo reportedly removed his headset, unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the aircraft door while the plane was flying at an altitude of around 850 feet (260 metres). Before leaving the aircraft, he is said to have turned to his student and told her: “You know what you have to do. Carry on.”
Rosario later told police that she initially believed her instructor was joking before realising what had happened. Left alone at the controls, she managed to remain calm enough to fly the aircraft back to the airfield and complete a safe landing without damage.
After landing, she alerted the emergency services and helped investigators identify the area where she believed Bertazzo had fallen. His body was later recovered near Toledo.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office No. 2 in Córdoba is continuing its investigation into the incident. Authorities have not suggested that anyone else was involved, and no criminal charges have been filed. Investigators are examining flight records, witness statements and evidence from the scene to reconstruct the instructor’s final moments.
Eduardo Álvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school, said Bertazzo had completed another training flight earlier that day and had shown no obvious signs that anything was wrong.
“He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side,” Álvarez told Argentine broadcaster TN. “It’s impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex.”
Álvarez also described Bertazzo as “a beautiful person with a great smile” and said colleagues had been left stunned by the incident. According to the flying school, the instructor had worked there since 2022 and was regarded as an experienced pilot.
Local media later reported that Bertazzo’s family said he had been experiencing personal difficulties and had sought psychiatric treatment before his death, although colleagues said they had been unaware of his struggles.
While student pilots are routinely trained to deal with emergencies such as engine failures, adverse weather or technical problems, aviation professionals noted that they are not prepared for the possibility of suddenly finding themselves alone after an instructor disappears mid-flight.
Rosario’s successful landing has therefore been widely described as an extraordinary display of composure under extreme circumstances.
The tragedy has drawn international attention not only because of the unusual nature of the incident, but also because of the student’s ability to safely recover the aircraft in exceptionally distressing circumstances.
