A flight instructor died on July 4 after jumping from a Cessna 150 during a lesson in Argentina, forcing his 22-year-old student to land the plane solo. The instructor, identified as 42-year-old Leandro Bertazzo, had reportedly been receiving psychiatric treatment but had not informed his colleagues.
According to Eduardo Álvarez, director of the flight school, Bertazzo's father stated his son had been going through a difficult period and had attended a psychiatric hospital appointment the week prior to the incident. Colleagues were unaware of his treatment, La Nacion reported.
Bertazzo instructed the student to maintain the planned course and told her, "You know what you have to do," before removing his headphones, gathering his belongings, stowing his phone, unfastening his seatbelt, opening the aircraft door, and jumping. The student, despite the traumatic experience, managed to land the Cessna 150 safely at Coronel Olmedo Airport, from where they had taken off. Emergency services were alerted and later found Bertazzo's body in a field approximately 20 minutes after he fell.
Álvarez described Bertazzo, who also worked as a commercial pilot in Chile, as someone who was "always smiling" and admitted no one suspected he would take such a drastic action. He noted that flight school protocols require suspending lessons if a pilot's condition could affect their ability to fly, but acknowledged the difficulty in detecting undisclosed issues.
The student pilot was praised by Álvarez for her composure and professionalism in landing the aircraft safely. An investigation into the incident, which occurred near Toledo in Argentina's Córdoba province, is ongoing. Officials are examining the aircraft's documentation, flight school records, and communications, and are considering whether a mechanical issue with the aircraft door might be a factor.
