A 22-year-old student pilot safely landed a light aircraft in Argentina after her flight instructor reportedly fell from the plane and died during a training flight, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Saturday near Córdoba, when the student, identified only as Rosario, was left alone at the controls of a Cessna C-150 after instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, 42, exited the aircraft in circumstances that remain under investigation.
According to Eduardo Alvarez, director of the Flying Parrot Córdoba flight school, Rosario told investigators that Bertazzo appeared calm before the incident. “At one point Leandro told her, ‘You know what to do, keep moving forward,'” Alvarez said. “He took his headphones off, arranged his belongings including his mobile phone, took his seatbelt off, opened the door, which is very difficult to open, and jumped out.”
Rosario immediately declared an emergency and successfully guided the aircraft back to Coronel Olmedo Airport without assistance. Bertazzo’s body was found about 20 minutes later in a field near the town of Toledo.
Alvarez praised the student’s composure, describing her as “very clear, decisive, mature, and professional.” He added, “She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing.”
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. While the student’s account points to a deliberate act, authorities are also investigating whether a mechanical failure or another factor may have contributed.