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Flight Instructor Jumps From Two‑Seat Plane and Student Lands Alone

Federal Justice of Córdoba is probing whether undisclosed psychiatric care or breaches of training rules contributed to the incident.

Overview

  • A 42-year-old instructor reportedly opened a Cessna C‑150 door and jumped out during a training flight, leaving his 22-year-old student alone in the cockpit on Saturday.
  • The student, who held a pilot brevet but had limited hours, contacted ground staff and completed a safe landing while shaken.
  • Authorities found the instructor’s body in a rural area near Toledo, Córdoba, and identified him as Leandro Bertazzo.
  • The flight-school director told reporters that Bertazzo removed his headset and phone, opened the door despite the low altitude and air pressure, and had flown another training sortie earlier that day.
  • Investigators are examining fitness-to-instruct, whether the instructor failed to report prior psychiatric care as reported by local media, and whether training or reporting protocols were followed which could prompt regulatory review.