Leandro Andres Bertazzo, a 42-year-old flight instructor, died after jumping from a Cessna 150 aircraft over the Toledo area of Cordoba province, central Argentina, the Public Prosecutor's Office announced on 8/7.

The plane also carried Rosario, a 22-year-old student pilot with a license who was accumulating mandatory flight hours. She reported that Bertazzo simply told her, "you know what to do, just continue," before removing his headphones, unbuckling his seatbelt, opening the door, and jumping.

The aircraft was at an altitude of about 250 meters. Rosario immediately contacted air traffic control, then successfully piloted the Cessna 150 to a safe landing. After arriving at the airport, she directed investigators to the instructor's last known location, leading to the discovery of his body.

Bertazzo in the cockpit of the plane in a photo released on 8/7. *Photo: CNN*

Eduardo Alvarez, director of Flying Parrot Cordoba pilot training school where Bertazzo worked, stated that colleagues observed no signs of suicidal intent. He described Bertazzo as "a wonderful person with a radiant smile," adding that everyone was shocked by the event.

"That day we saw Leandro as usual," director Alvarez said. "He arrived in a happy mood, greeting and kissing everyone normally."

Bertazzo had completed another training flight earlier that day, which proceeded without incident. The only unusual detail was that he did not drive himself to the school, instead having a student pick him up from his parents' home.

"He made a tragic decision with another person still in the plane," Alvarez commented. "It is inexplicable, but the human mind is complex."

Local media reported Bertazzo was an experienced pilot, having worked as a flight instructor in Chile and holding an airline transport pilot (atp) certificate issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Bertazzo's father told La Nacion his son "was going through a difficult period" and had received treatment for mental health conditions. However, director Alvarez stated that no one at the training school knew about this.