Flight Instructor's Silent Struggle Ends in Tragedy Over Argentina

A 22-year-old student pilot was left to land the plane alone on Saturday when her instructor, flight instructor Leandro Andrés Bertazzo, turned to her mid-flight and said,“You know what you have to do, carry on”—then jumped from the aircraft over Argentina. What followed was an impossible situation that raises hard questions about mental health awareness in high-stakes professions.

Leandro Andrés Bertazzo’s father, Álvarez Bertazzo, has revealed that his son was going through a rough patch and had sought help at a psychiatric clinic. The heartbreaking part? His colleagues at the Flying Parrot Córdoba flying school had no idea. Despite consulting with mental health professionals about whatever he was struggling with, that information never made it to the people working alongside him or depending on his judgment every single day. The director of the flight school told CNN affiliate TN that there were no visible warning signs of suicidal intent—a grim reminder of how isolating mental health crises can be, even when someone is actively seeking help.

What makes this tragedy even more stark is the vulnerability of the person left in the cockpit. A young student pilot, just 22 years old, suddenly became responsible for bringing an aircraft safely to the ground—all because the person trained to guide her made an irreversible choice in a moment of desperation. She did what she was trained to do, but the psychological weight of that moment is impossible to quantify.

The case underscores a systemic blind spot: mental health support exists, but it often exists in isolation. When someone is struggling with their mental state and working in a role where their decisions affect others’lives, there’s a critical gap between getting help and having that help known by the people who need to know. Leandro was single with no children, according to family members—but he wasn’t alone in his work, and his silence cost him his life and left trauma in its wake.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.