LIPA CITY, Batangas — Four Philippine Air Force (PAF) aviators lost their lives on Friday afternoon when two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed within the grounds of Fernando Air Base. The fatal accident took place during a routine formation training flight, prompting military authorities to immediately initiate a full investigation and ground the nation's remaining fleet of SF-260 aircraft.
According to an official statement released by the Air Force, the incident occurred at approximately 3:51 p.m. local time on Friday, October 23. Both single-propeller Marchetti SF-260 aircraft went down inside the perimeter of the military installation in Lipa City, Batangas.
Emergency response teams immediately converged on the crash sites within the air base. Military spokespersons confirmed that all four pilots on board the two training planes died upon impact. No ground casualties or secondary damage to base structures were reported.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Philippine Air Force ordered the immediate grounding of all operational SF-260 aircraft across the country as a precautionary safety measure while flight safety inspectors determine the root cause of the mid-air collision.
"The PAF honors the service and sacrifice of our fallen aviators and is coordinating with their bereaved families to provide necessary assistance," Air Force spokesperson Colonel Alvin Capinguian stated. The military withheld the names of the deceased officers pending full notification of their next of kin, asking the public for privacy during this time.
The Italian-designed Aermacchi SF-260 is a light trainer aircraft long utilized by the Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC), which is headquartered at Fernando Air Base. Beyond basic pilot instruction and formation drills, variants of the aircraft have historically served light-attack and surveillance roles in internal security operations, including combat air strikes against insurgents in Marawi City in 2017.
Following the tragedy, leaders from the Department of National Defense and defense officials extended their deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of the fallen airmen. Authorities announced that a specialized military board of inquiry will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, examining maintenance logs, flight telemetry, and witness accounts to ensure complete transparency and prevent future mishaps.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
