Four Philippine pilots killed in mid-air collision
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Businessday
Four Philippine Air Force pilots died after two SF-260 training aircraft collided in flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province. The military suspended the use of the aircraft until the end of an investigation into the accident, according to Reuters.
Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday 23 October when two SF-260 training aircraft collided at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, south of Manila. The military confirmed the accident on Saturday, according to Reuters.
The two aircraft collided in mid-air during an exercise before crashing inside the base, causing no other casualties. The Philippine Air Force temporarily grounded its SF-260 fleet pending an investigation into the cause of the accident, Reuters reports.
Two pilots had already been killed in May in the crash of an SF-260 in a mountainous region of the northern Philippines. Another aircraft of the same type crashed during a training flight in 2023, also killing two people. These aircraft were also used during strikes against Marawi in the south of the country in 2017.
