- Two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed, killing four.
- Air Force grounded its SF-260 fleet pending immediate investigation.
- The SF-260 fleet experienced prior fatal crashes since 2023.
Four pilots were killed after two Philippine Air Force trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at an air base south of Manila on Friday, the military said on Saturday.
The accident involved two SF-260 aircraft at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement.
Local media reports said the two aircraft collided midair before crashing within the air base’s grounds. No other casualties were reported.
Philippine Air Force Grounds SF-260 Fleet After Crash
Following the accident, the Philippine Air Force temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer aircraft pending an investigation into the cause of the crash, Reuters reported.
The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the deaths of the four pilots during the training exercise.
ALSO READ: First Russian Diesel Shipment Heads To US Under Trump-Putin Deal, Carrying 40,000 Tonnes Of Fuel
Previous SF-260 Crashes In The Philippines
The latest accident comes months after another fatal crash involving an SF-260 trainer aircraft in the Philippines. In May, two pilots were killed when an aircraft of the same type crashed in a mountainous area in the country’s north.
An SF-260 TP Marchetti also crashed during a training flight in 2023, killing two pilots.
As per the Reuters report, the Philippine military has also deployed SF-260 aircraft in combat operations. The planes were used during months of air strikes on the southern city of Marawi in 2017, after militants loyal to the Islamic State seized control of the area.
The military’s campaign followed the militants’ takeover of parts of the city, which became the focus of a prolonged battle to regain control of the area.
ALSO READ: Iranian Plots To Assassinate American Diplomats Abroad At ‘Advanced Stages’, US Intel Warns: Report
