Four Philippine Air Force pilots killed in training accident
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- Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed when two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province.
- Local media said the planes collided in mid-air. The aircraft fell inside the base, and no one else was hurt.
- The Air Force has grounded its SF-260 fleet while it investigates. The crash follows earlier deadly SF-260 accidents in May 2023 and 2023.
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MANILA – Two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at an airbase south of the capital Manila, killing four pilots, the military said on Oct 24.
The aviation accident on Oct 23 involved two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at the Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement
Local media reported that the two planes collided in mid-air.
The aircraft crashed within the grounds of the airbase but there were no other casualties
The Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer planes pending an investigation into the cause of the accident.
In May, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines, while another SF-260 TP Marchetti crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots.
The military used SF-260 aircraft during months of air strikes on southern Marawi City after militants loyal to Islamic State seized the area in 2017. REUTERS