On July 4, 2026, near Toledo in Córdoba Province, Argentina, flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo jumped from a Cessna 150 aircraft mid-flight without a parachute during a training session [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Before leaving, Bertazzo told his 22-year-old female student pilot, "You know what to do," signaling her to continue flying on her own [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The instructor removed his headset, secured his belongings, unfastened his seatbelt, and opened the aircraft door—an action described as extremely difficult due to strong airflow, comparable to trying to open a car door at high speed—before jumping out [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The student pilot, though shocked and with limited flying experience, remained calm and communicated with authorities while smoothly controlling and ultimately landing the plane safely at Coronel Olmedo Airport [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Eduardo Álvarez, a principal at the flight school, said, "She was very scared but still managed with complete professionalism to fly the plane back and land safely" [3].
The instructor’s body was recovered about 15 to 20 minutes later from a nearby field by emergency responders [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Álvarez described Bertazzo as normally cheerful, saying, "He was always smiling; no one expected him to make such an extreme decision" [1]. Although the instructor had previously received psychiatric treatment for personal issues, it is unclear if this was linked to his jump [1, 3, 5].
Authorities and prosecutors are investigating the incident as an apparent suicide, but they have not ruled out the possibility of technical failures contributing to the event [1, 3, 4, 5]. The next steps include a full inquiry to determine the causes surrounding the instructor’s jump and the flight conditions at the time.
