Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, a 42-year-old flight instructor, jumped out of a Cessna 150 near Toledo in Córdoba province, Argentina, on August 4, 2026, during a training flight, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Before exiting the aircraft, Bertazzo told his 22-year-old female student pilot, Rosario, "You know what you have to do, carry on" or a similar phrase in Chinese [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He removed his headset, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the plane's door mid-flight, and jumped out [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Authorities noted opening the aircraft door at about 200 km/h (124 mph) is extremely difficult, similar to opening a car door moving at such speeds. Eduardo Álvarez, a local expert, said, "飛行途中打開艙門極其困難，難度相當於試圖打開一輛以時速200公里行駛的汽車車門" [3].
Despite the shock, Rosario successfully flew and landed the plane without damage [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. She immediately sent emergency communications after the incident [2, 3]. Bertazzo’s body was found 15-20 minutes later in a nearby field by police [2, 3, 4]. He had flown earlier that day with another student without showing abnormal behavior [1, 3, 4, 5]. Bertazzo, who was either the director or a senior instructor at the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school, had experience flying in Chile [1, 3, 4, 5]. His family disclosed he had a history of psychiatric treatment, though it was not publicly known before his death [2, 5]. Personal items including his headset and phone were left behind on the plane before he jumped [2].
Argentinian prosecutors in Córdoba province are investigating the precise circumstances and causes of Bertazzo’s death and have publicly announced their ongoing inquiry on August 7, 2026 [1, 2, 4, 5]. Eduardo Álvarez commented, "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" [5].
