Student pilot, 22, forced to land plane as teacher jumps to his death moments after ominous remark

In a terrifying ordeal in Argentina, a 22-year-old student pilot was forced to land a plane after her instructor jumped out the door mid-flight.

The young woman was only a few hours into learning to be a pilot. She’d hired flight instructor Leandro Bertazzo, 42, to help her, and they went out in a Cessna C-150 aircraft earlier this week.

Though details about what happened on the plane are still scarce, reports suggest they took off from Coronel Olmedo Airport in good condition. However, mid-flight, something awful happened.

Credit: Google Maps

Repeating the student’s story to local media, Eduardo Alvarez, the director of the flight school Flying Parrot Cordoba, said the instructor “jumped” from the aircraft.

He told Argentinian publications: “At one point Leandro told her, ‘You know what to do, keep moving forward.’ He took his headphones off, arranged his belongings including his mobile phone, took his seatbelt off, opened the door which is very difficult to open and jumped out. She sent a message informing about the situation and proceeded to return to the runway to land.”

The young woman, identified only as Rosario, managed to land the plane safely at the same airport they’d taken off from.

“She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing. She maintained a very high level of training and professionalism,” Eduardo Alvarez said, describing Rosario as “very clear, decisive, mature and professional.”

"Era una persona amable, no había indicios de que pudiera hacer algo así"

Eduardo Álvarez, director de la escuela de aviación donde trabajaba Leandro, el joven que se arrojó desde la avioneta, comentó cómo lo vio horas antes del hecho.

📌 En Código Nación con @deboraplager pic.twitter.com/cFFCLV7pf1

— La Nación Más (@lanacionmas) July 6, 2026

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An investigation has been launched into Leandro Bertazzo’s death

Authorities and the Flying Parrot Cordoba flight school are still trying to wrap their heads around the situation, but an investigation has been launched into Leandro Bertazzo’s sudden death.

“That day, we saw Leandro like any other. He arrived cheerful, kissing everyone as usual. The only thing that stood out was that, instead of coming in his own car as usual, he had asked a student to pick him up at the house where he lived with his parents. They chatted the whole way and everything seemed fine,” the pilot’s boss said.

Credit: Instagram

“He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side. It’s impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex… We are surprised that this has happened.”

Leandro Andrés Bertazzo’s dad told La Nacion that his son was “going through a difficult time” and had undergone psychiatric treatment, which his boss said he was unaware of.

Investigating officials are looking into Leandro, communications, an earlier flight that day with another student, and possible mechanical failure.

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Featured image credit: Instagram/Facebook