MANILA, Oct. 24 — Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday afternoon after two single-engine military trainer aircraft collided mid-air during a routine formation training flight south of the capital, military authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred in the airspace above Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas. Following the mid-air impact, both SF-260 Marchetti aircraft lost control and crashed within the perimeter of the military facility. Emergency responders confirmed that all four aviators aboard the two planes died on impact. No ground personnel or civilian casualties were reported.
Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Colonel Alvin Capingian confirmed the fatalities and stated that a high-level military investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation to identify the factors that led to this unfortunate incident,” the spokesperson noted, adding that all remaining SF-260 trainer aircraft across the fleet have been placed on temporary grounding orders as a precautionary safety protocol pending preliminary findings.
The collision underscores persistent flight safety challenges for the country’s armed forces. The fatal crash marks the second deadly incident involving the SF-260 platform within the year; in May, another SF-260 went down during training maneuvers over the mountainous Benguet province in northern Luzon, claiming the lives of both pilots on board.
Source: NDTV (via Philippine Air Force official briefing)