A training flight at a flight school in Córdoba, Argentina ended in tragedy when a flight instructor reportedly took his own life mid-air, leaving his 22-year-old student alone in the cockpit to land the plane by herself.
The instructor was identified as Leandro Andrés Bertazzo. He was teaching at Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school when the incident occurred.
According to prosecutors, Bertazzo was in the cockpit with his student, identified as Rosario, when he suddenly turned to her and said: “You know what you have to do, carry on.” 
He then removed his headset, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door of the small aircraft, and jumped.
What Rosario Did Next
What happened in the seconds after that moment is difficult to fully imagine. A young woman, alone in a cockpit, mid-air, in complete shock, with nobody in the seat beside her. She landed the plane safely.
The details of how she managed it have not been fully reported, but the outcome speaks to both her composure under unimaginable circumstances and her training received at the school. She had gone up that day for a routine lesson, but she came down alone.
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No Warning Signs
The school’s director told CNN affiliate TN that there had been no indication anything was wrong with Bertazzo before the flight. What makes the incident even more difficult to process is that he had already completed another training flight with a different student earlier that same day; nothing unusual or concerning and nothing that would have suggested what was coming.
The Flying Parrot Córdoba school, and the people who knew Bertazzo, appear to be grappling with the same question investigators are now pursuing: what happened, and why.
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The Investigation
Prosecutors in Argentina have opened a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bertazzo’s death. Authorities have confirmed they do not yet know what prompted him to jump, and the investigation is ongoing. No note or prior communication indicating distress has been publicly reported.
The case raises wider questions about mental health monitoring within aviation training environments, which is an industry where instructors carry significant responsibility and are trusted with the safety of students whose lives are in their hands.
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