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Four Philippine Air Force Pilots Killed as Two Trainer Planes Crash at Fernando Air Base

Two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, killing four pilots. The Air Force has grounded its SF-260 fleet while investigators work, and local media reports of a midair collision remain unconfirmed by the service.

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Four Philippine Air Force Pilots Killed as Two Trainer Planes Crash at Fernando Air Base

Key points

  • Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday when two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, south of Manila, the military…
  • The Air Force said the accident happened at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, October 23, at the base in Lipa City.
  • The Philippine Air Force said in a statement that the flight involved two SF-260 aircraft on a training flight.

Four Philippine Air Force pilots were killed on Friday when two SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Batangas province, south of Manila, the military said on Saturday.

The Air Force said the accident happened at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, October 23, at the base in Lipa City. Both aircraft came down within the grounds of the base and there were no other casualties.

What the Air Force has confirmed

The Philippine Air Force said in a statement that the flight involved two SF-260 aircraft on a training flight. Local media has reported that the two planes collided in midair. The Air Force itself has not confirmed a collision as the cause, and it has not given a cause for the accident while an investigation is under way.

The Air Force did not identify the four pilots. It said it was coordinating with their families.

"The PAF honors the service and sacrifice of our fallen aviators and is coordinating with their bereaved families to provide necessary assistance," the Air Force statement said, as reported by the Philippine Star via Balita.

Fleet grounded while investigators work

The Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of SF-260 trainer planes pending an investigation into the cause of the accident. The grounding takes the trainer type out of service while investigators establish what happened during the Friday flight.

No other casualties were reported, and the aircraft crashed inside the base grounds. The Air Force has not said how long the grounding will last or when the investigation will report.

A trainer with two earlier fatal crashes

The SF-260 has been involved in two earlier fatal training accidents in the Philippines in the record cited by Reuters. In May 2026, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines. Another SF-260 crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots.

Friday's accident at Fernando Air Base killed four pilots in a single flight, two aircraft at once. The names of the four pilots, the cause of the crash and the findings of the investigation remain matters the Air Force has yet to publish.

Timeline

  1. Oct 23, 2026Two SF-260 trainer aircraft crash during a training flight at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, at 3:51 p.m., killing four pilots. Both aircraft come down inside the base grounds with no other casualties.
  2. Oct 24, 2026The Philippine Air Force confirms the four deaths in a statement, says it is coordinating with the pilots' families, and temporarily grounds its SF-260 fleet pending an investigation.
  3. May 2026In an earlier accident cited by Reuters, two pilots were killed when an SF-260 trainer crashed in a mountainous area in northern Philippines. Another SF-260 crashed during a 2023 training flight, also killing two pilots.

Sources