Collided in midair and crashed at base: four pilots killed in the Philippines

Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed when two SF-260 training aircraft collided in midair over Fernando Air Base south of Manila. The military confirmed their deaths and opened an investigation. The fleet of aircraft has been temporarily grounded.

Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed yesterday (Friday) when two Italian-made SF-260 training aircraft crashed at Fernando Air Base in the city of Lipa, Batangas province, south of the capital Manila. The military confirmed their deaths today and announced the opening of an investigation. According to reports, the two aircraft collided in midair at low altitude in the afternoon hours before crashing within the base grounds. Each aircraft carried two pilots. According to local network ABS-CBN, citing an Air Force spokesperson, the accident occurred during a rehearsal for an air show. The names of the four pilots have not been released at the request of their families. No casualties were reported on the ground, although a witness said one of the aircraft fell near soldiers' quarters. The Air Force has temporarily grounded flights of the SF-260 fleet pending clarification of the accident's circumstances. This is not the first fatal accident involving this model in the Philippines: in May of this year, two pilots were killed in a crash in the north of the country, and in 2023, two more were killed.