A 22-year-old flying student has been left in a state of "complete shock" after her instructor jumped out of a moving aircraft mid-flight during a lesson over Toledo, Argentina, leaving her to land the plane alone. The incident occurred on July 4, when Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, an instructor at the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school, abandoned the aircraft at roughly 250 metres altitude — and was later found dead.

What happened during the flight lesson

Bertazzo, 42, was conducting a routine training flight with the student — identified only as Rosario — when the lesson took a devastating turn. According to reports, Bertazzo turned to Rosario and told her, "You know what you have to do, carry on," before methodically removing his headphones, stowing his mobile phone, and sorting his belongings.

He then unfastened his seatbelt, opened the aircraft door, and fell from the plane over the Toledo area. The school's director, Eduardo Álvarez, noted that opening a plane door mid-flight is extraordinarily difficult — likening the force involved to opening a car door while travelling at 200 kilometres per hour.

Rosario, who already held her flying licence but was completing the required flight hours to advance her qualifications, contacted air traffic control immediately after the incident and was able to bring the aircraft down safely.

After landing, Bertazzo's colleagues joined police in a search for the instructor. He was located quickly and declared dead at the scene.

School says nothing seemed out of the ordinary

Álvarez told reporters that staff at Flying Parrot Córdoba had noticed nothing unusual about Bertazzo's behaviour on the day of his death. The instructor had arrived in good spirits and greeted colleagues warmly, as was apparently his habit.

"That day, we saw Leandro like any other," Álvarez said in a translated statement. "He arrived cheerful, kissing everyone as usual."

There was one small deviation from routine: rather than driving himself to work as he normally did, Bertazzo had asked a student to collect him from the home he shared with his parents in a Córdoba neighbourhood. Aside from that, nothing raised concern among those who saw him that morning.

Rosario was Bertazzo's second student of the day, with the first lesson having concluded without any incident.

Family reveals instructor had been struggling

When Bertazzo's parents were informed of the circumstances surrounding their son's death, his father disclosed that the instructor had been going through "a rough patch" and had recently visited a psychiatric clinic. Neither the school nor Álvarez had been aware of this.

Álvarez confirmed that Flying Parrot Córdoba's policy is to suspend flights if any pilot has a condition that could affect their ability to fly safely — but said no one at the school had been informed of any such issue with Bertazzo. The 42-year-old was described as an experienced pilot who was single and had no children.

"He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side," Álvarez said. "It's impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex."

Investigation under way, student recovering from trauma

Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident. Rosario, who displayed remarkable composure in an extraordinary and terrifying situation, is understandably described as being in "complete shock" in the aftermath.

The case has drawn widespread attention given the extreme danger posed to the student, who was left in sole control of the aircraft without warning at altitude. For those who follow aviation incidents in the region, the circumstances are among the most unusual on record.

No further details about the investigation's scope or timeline have been released at this stage.