Four Philippine Air Force Pilots Killed in Training Accident

Benguet Board Member Oliver Paus

The aircraft went down within the air base's perimeter at 11.51am UAE time.

Four pilots were killed when two Philippine Air Force training aircraft crashed during a flight at an air base south of the capital, Manila, the military said on Saturday.

The accident occurred on Friday and involved two SF-260 aircraft during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement.

Local media reported that the two aircraft collided in mid-air.

Both planes crashed within the grounds of the air base, with no other casualties reported.

The Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 training aircraft pending an investigation into the cause of the accident.

In May, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 training aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in the northern Philippines. Another SF-260 TP Marchetti aircraft crashed during a training flight in 2023, killing two pilots.

The military also used SF-260 aircraft during months of air strikes on the southern city of Marawi in 2017, after militants loyal to the Islamic State group seized control of the area.

Source: Reuters



PUKMEDIA