Four Pilots Die in Philippine Air Force Crash
Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed in a mid-air crash when two trainer aircraft collided during a training flight at an air base south of Manila. The two SF-260 aircraft crashed at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas province, on Friday afternoon, and both came down inside the base perimeter.
No one on the ground was hurt. A witness told reporters that one of the aircraft went down near the barracks used by military personnel at the base.
The Philippine Air Force said in a statement that it honours the service and sacrifice of its fallen aviators, and it asked the public to respect the privacy of the families. The service has withheld the names of the four pilots while it coordinates with their families.
Philippine Air Force Crash Grounds SF-260 Fleet
The Air Force has temporarily grounded its remaining SF-260 aircraft while an investigation takes place. The service has not said how many of the trainers remain in service, nor how long the grounding will last.
The cause of the collision is not yet known. Two officials with knowledge of the incident told reporters that the two planes collided in mid-air while flying at a low altitude, but they spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter in public.
Video obtained by Philippine broadcaster GMA News reportedly shows the two aircraft striking each other in flight. The Air Force has not commented on the footage, nor on whether the pair were flying in formation.
The SF-260 is a light, propeller-driven trainer. It was designed in Italy in the 1960s and is now built by Leonardo. The Philippine Air Force uses the two-seat aircraft for the basic training of new pilots, before they move on to jets. The type has also flown in counter-insurgency operations, including the 2017 air strikes on Marawi City after militants seized parts of the city.
Second Fatal SF-260 Crash in Five Months
Friday’s accident was the second fatal crash involving a Philippine SF-260 in five months. In May, an SF-260 went down during a navigation training flight in the northern mountain province of Benguet, killing both pilots on board. The Air Force grounded its remaining 16 SF-260s at that time, pending an investigation whose findings have not been made public.
The pattern stretches further back. In 2023, an SF-260 crashed into a rice field in Bataan province, northwest of Manila, during a training flight, killing its two crew members. In January 2015, an SF-260 crashed into the sea off Nasugbu in Batangas during an exhibition flight, killing both pilots and grounding the remaining 16 aircraft.
The current training fleet was rebuilt around 18 SF-260FH trainers bought for 622.59 million pesos, with the first aircraft delivered at Clark Air Base in November 2010 and further batches arriving through 2011. The Philippines has flown versions of the SF-260 since the early 1970s.
The crash is the latest setback for an underfunded military. The Philippine armed forces have long struggled to modernise the air force, navy and army, while dealing with long-running insurgencies at home and growing tensions with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Fernando Air Base is the home station of the SF-260 fleet. Grounding the trainers therefore halts the earliest stage of pilot production, since cadets fly the SF-260 before moving on to jets.
What happened at Fernando Air Base?
Two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided during a training flight on Friday afternoon and crashed inside the base perimeter, killing all four pilots on board.
Why has the SF-260 fleet been grounded?
The Air Force grounded the fleet as a precaution while investigators work out what caused the mid-air collision. The service has not said how long the grounding will last.
Has this aircraft type crashed before in the Philippines?
Yes. An SF-260 crashed in Benguet in May 2026, killing two pilots, and another crashed in Bataan in 2023, killing two crew members. A further SF-260 crashed into the sea off Nasugbu in 2015, killing both pilots.
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