Two Philippine Air Force Planes Collide, Killing Four Pilots
The accident occurred during a training flight at Fernando Air Base, leading to the grounding of all similar aircraft.
Four pilots were killed when two Philippine Air Force SF-260 training planes collided mid-air and crashed at Fernando Air Base on Friday afternoon. The incident took place in Lipa city, within the coastal province of Batangas, south of Manila.
Officials confirmed there were no injuries on the ground. The air force has not provided specific details regarding the cause of the crash, describing it only as accidental.
Following the collision, all remaining SF-260 aircraft in the Philippine Air Force fleet have been temporarily grounded as an investigation into the incident commences. The origin of the SF-260s, described as two-seater planes, was Italy. The air force did not specify the number of SF-260s currently in its inventory.
This accident represents a significant setback for the Philippine military, which has long faced challenges in modernizing its forces due to financial constraints. These difficulties persist amid ongoing communist and Muslim insurgencies and escalating territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Beijing.