Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday after two SF-260 aircraft were involved in an accident during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, according to an official statement.
Local media reports indicated that the two aircraft collided midair before crashing within the air base premises. No other casualties were reported.
Following the incident, the Philippine Air Force temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer aircraft pending an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
The latest accident follows similar incidents involving the same aircraft type. In May, two pilots died when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in the northern Philippines. Another SF-260 TP Marchetti aircraft crashed during a training flight in 2023, killing two pilots.
The Philippine military has also used SF-260 aircraft in combat operations. In 2017, the planes were deployed during air strikes in the southern city of Marawi after militants affiliated with the Islamic State group seized parts of the city.
